Adventures of Lara and Jack Part I
by Elendia
Summary: Based of my old Adventures of Lara and Orlando Bloom. Lara is forced to work with an old ex boyfriend named Jack on four of her adventures. A four part story.
1. Chapter 1

**Adventures of Lara and Jack: Dealing with Demons**

**Chapter one**

The daughter of Lord Henshingly Croft, Lara was brought up in the secure world of aristocracy surrounded by tennis, butlers and corgis. But this all started to change when she went to the renowned school of Gordonstoun and found the mountains of Scotland. Later, at her Swiss finishing school, she took to the art of extreme skiing and spent a holiday in the Himalayas searching for more challenging terrain.

On her return trip however, the plane crashed deep within the mountains and Lara was the only survivor. Two weeks later, when she walked into a mountain village, her experiences had, had a profound effect on her. Unable to stand the suffocating atmosphere of upper class British society any longer, she realized she was only truly alive when she was traveling alone.

Lara's parents though, having sported hopes of her marrying the Earl of Farringdon, were less than convinced about this chosen lifestyle and ceased to associate with their daughter – even terminating her monthly allowance. The Earl is still waiting.

While in England, Lara lives in a mansion in Surrey, which she inherited many years ago. At one time she saw little use in it but now realizes that, if nothing else, it is at least handy for storing all the artifacts she has acquired on her travels. She has also had a custom-built assault course constructed in the grounds for training purposes.

Lara's parents had never approved of her life style, the only one she knew who approved and who was always there for her was her long time friend Jack Wes. Lara and Jack briefly dated when they were younger but broke it off due to Lara always being gone on her adventures. It all started back when Lara was sixteen.

On her first adventure Lara accompanies Werner Von Croy on an adventure to the temple of Angkor Wat, Cambodia in the hope of finding the mystical "Iris." However, the trip is cut short by an accident where Lara is forced to abandon her companion in order to save her own life. Later on one of Lara's adventure she is forced to work with Jack

_~Lara and Jack's First Adventure~_

Young Lara sat on her bed in her bedroom of Winston's cottage. She's getting ready to change for bed but was interrupted by a noise. She opened her door to see Winston opening the front door, revealing a dark figure in a hat, which turns out to be Father Patrick.

"Evenin' Winston, and how would I be able to help?" Father Patrick asked as he walked in and followed Winston to the dinning room. The Priest sat down at the table.

"So people have seen these apparitions out at the island?" Father Patrick asked as Winston started to sit on the opposite side of the table.

"There's talk of little else in the village. I'm doing all I can to keep this gossip from Lara." Winston said

Lara walks to the dinning room and opens the door a crack to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Aye, yet would be a wise man. It would be unwise for her curiosity to draw her to that place." Father Patrick agreed.

"And you have some idea of what it could be?"

"To be frank with you, no. But as the devil finds work for idle hands, I've spoken with Father Finnegan, and I have a boat chartered for the crossing late on this very evening." Father Patrick told him.

"Good Lord! You have not chosen the evening for it." Winston asked as he looked out the window and watched the rain coming down hard, and the wind blowing tree branches against the windows.

"I have my faith to protect me, Winston."

"Be careful, I fear that on that island it is what you cannot see that will hurt you."

"Time to get to the bottom of this, old friend."

As Father Patrick rise to go Lara climbs out her window and drops to the ground outside. She follows Father Patrick to the boat he told about and hid inside, Father Patrick began to steer the boat across the water. He turns to wave to Winston. As the boat crosses the ocean, Lara peer out from under a tarp to see what's going on. The boat docks at a rocky approaches a rocky island and after letting Father Patrick disembark, when he is far enough Lara jumps out and hides behind some rocks. She turns to watch the boat return the way it came.

The priest opens a concealed door in the rock face and enters a passageway. Lara is hiding nearby and sees all this. Lara climbs out from behind a rock she hears a noise behind her and turns to see what is happening.

"JACK!"

"Hey Lara." He said smiling and struggling to climb the wet rocks.

She walks to him and slaps him.

"What the bloody hell was that for?" Jack asked lifting his hand to rub his red sore cheek.

"You know bloody damn well what that was for."

"Lara how many times do I have to say I'm sorry?"

"Well sorry isn't going to cut it this time. Go home." She starts to follow the Priest

"I cant."

"Why?" Lara turns with anger on her face

"I don't know how to get home." He turned and pointed to the boat in the distance.

Lara growled. "Find then stay here." She started to walk away.

"I'm not going to stay here by my self. This place gives me the creeps." He ran after her.

"Scaredy cat."

"Hey just cause I'm a guy does not mean I can't be scared. Have you seen this place? It would scare the crap out of any guy. No matter how tough he was."

"Could you just PLEASE! Stop talking?" When she saw him open his mouth then close it again she turned around and started walking again. "Thank you."

Jack just looked at her confused. 'Why is she acting like this? I didn't mean to do any thing to her.' Jack thought as they continued to walk.

"I can't believe you followed me."

"Well I came to the house to talk to you. And I saw you sneaking out so I wanted to know what it was you were hiding from me."

"WHAT! Is this what this is about!" Lara stopped and looked at Jack.

"Well yeah. But I didn't figure you would catch me."

"Jack..."

"Yes?" He asked with a sarcastic smile.

"You know I could just throw you off this cliff right now."

"See you wouldn't do that."

"And why wouldn't I?"

"Cause you still love me I know you do."

"No Jake I don't, now please just leave me alone. If you have to follow me don't talk to me anymore."

"Fine then I wont then."

**Chapter Two**

As Lara and Jack enter the Gallows Tree area she is startled by the ring of a church bell from the tower behind her. This place was just getting creepier by the minute. As she slowly approached the tree, there is a flash of light that made her and Jack turn away. They saw a rotting corpse had appeared hanging from one of the branches.

Lara jumps back a bit when she sees what is hanging from the tree. 'What I'm dealing with demons now.' She thought.

The man spoke in a deep voice almost like a smokers voice "Come child's. Come closer for I have gifts for thee."

"I'll stay where I am."

He began to laugh before he spoke again. "Fear not this visage. For it is but a vessel for my troubled spirit…Come closer for you are safe while I am hung like so much butchered meat."

"Who…are…you?"

"Who? Hmmm… For it is more like what. Condemned to wander between the kingdoms of man and that of the elementals. Hmmm…But I must be swift in my request. Hissss…for they watch and wait to once more draw me back into the darkness!"

"Request?" Lara said in a curious tone but Jack could hear that she was a little scared.

"My heart, girl! They have hidden my petrified heart in this, the World Tree. Down under the watchful gaze of the dragon, Nidhogg. Hmm… Find this, my child's, and return it to its rightful resting place. Hiss…and you shall be rewarded!"

"And why on earth should I trust…you?"

"Not on earth, girl, In between. My soul is gone and how it fares nobody knows and nobody cares."

With a choking laugh and another flash of light, the corpse disappears.

"What the bloody hell was that?"

"A dead corpse what did it look like?"

"What…Lara."

"What?" She just looked at him. "It was a demon."

"Ok we are dealing with demons? You're not really thinking about finding his heart."

"Well…Yeah."

"Lara if he is a demon you shouldn't give a bloody rat's ass"

"Well what else am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know but you don't help a demon."

Lara walked over to the tree they both heard and saw a barrel falling over. A channeling came running out and after Lara.

"Get that thing away from me!"

Jack kicked it and it fell into the fire near by.

Lara just laughed and walked away.

"What? Why are you laughing at me?"

"Nothing just funny that you're scared of a little thing like that. And I never knew you screamed like a little girl." Lara started to walk to find a way out.

"Hey I didn't scream like a little girl."

"Sure ok."

"Ok so how do we get out of here?"

"I don't know. I'm looking."

"Well hurry up I want to go home. I am just getting a really bad vibe from this place."

"If you don't like this place why did you follow me?"

"Well…I didn't know what I was getting myself into."

"Yeah. You never do, do you?"

"I can see it was a BIG mistake coming here."

"You got that right. Why did you follow me?"

Jack stood there not saying a word.

"Why couldn't you just trust me?"

"Trust You?"

"Yeah."

"Trust you?"

"YES!"

"Lara how can I trust some one when they keep something from me?"

Lara said nothing.

"For all I knew you could have been cheating on me."

"CHEATING!"

"Yeah."

"Jack I never cheated you know I would never..."

Jack rolled his eyes and turned away.

"Look at me! I kept this from you because it was to dangerous for you to know what I do."

"What is it you do Lara?"

Lara said nothing just continued looking for away out.

"Lara I asked you a question and I want an answer."

"Not right now. You said you want to go home so I'm try to look for away out of here."

"You always do this."

"DO what?"

"Avoid the questions you don't want to answer."

"I'm not avoiding the question."

"Oh really is that right."

"Yes."

"Find Ms. Croft if you're not avoiding the question. Then answer it."

"I hate when you call me Ms. Croft."

"HA! Avoiding..."

"SHUT UP! Jack I don't want to deal with this right now."

Lara noticed a crawl space and started to go though it. When she came out the other side she noticed a house. It looked very dark inside, looked as if no one had lived there in years. There was only a haystack and a cabinet every thing else seemed to be gone.

"No one seems to be home." Jack said peeking in the window to see nothing.

"Perfect lets go."

"Wait your going to go in there?" Jack grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Yeah maybe I will find some thing to get us out."

"But Lara you can just go into some one else's home with out asking."

"Well their not home and you want to get out of here. Unless you want to stay here and deal with more demons." Lara said with a sarcastic smile.

"Lets go." Jack pushed pass Lara and opened the door to the house before her. "What are we looking for?"

"I don't know some thing that will help us find our way out."

"Well there isn't much here these people must have moved."

"Probably couldn't handle the demons."

"Yeah." Jack saw some thing on the floor and picked it up. "Oh lookie."

"Oh Lookie? You sound like a two year old."

Jack ignored her smart comment. "A sling shot." He held it up and showed it to her.

Lara took it from his hands slipped it in her backpack and walked out.

"Hey you know I found that first."

"Jack, It dose not matter who found it I'm the one with the backpack. And I don't expect you to do climbing while you're holding a slingshot. And besides, I know what I am doing. I have had training to do this. I've learned from the best." Lara said with sadness in her voice remember how she had to leave him behind to save herself. Guilt started to flood back into her mind. But she pushed it away. There was no time for guilt or sorrow.

"To do what?"

Lara didn't answer.

"TO DO WHAT LARA! What is it you do?" He said grabbing her arm and gripping hard.

"Tomb Raider." For the first time she stopped and looked at him

"Is this what you have been hiding from me?"

"Yes."

"Why? I thought you trusted me."

"Jack I couldn't tell you, Von Croy he said it was to dangerous for you to know."

"Von Croy?"

"The man who trained me to be what I am."

"Lara I'm sorry I didn't know."

Lara turned and started to walk.

"Lara if I know I would have trusted you. But you know I would have still followed you."

"I'm not upset about you breaking up with me. And that's why I didn't want you to know. I couldn't risk you following me and you getting hurt, and what if I didn't know you were there. What if you got behind and couldn't find me. You'd be dead, you'd die with out the proper training."

"Then train me.

"Jack, I can't do that."

"Why not Lara?"

"Jack I can't have you with me. I do better on my own. And you following me all the time it's just going to slow me down. Just like you are now with all this talking."

"I only followed you and wanted to come so that I would know you were ok."

"Jack I don't need you checking on me I have had training. I know what I have to do."

"Ok then if you know what to do then how do we get out?"

"I don't know ok. It doesn't work that way."

Jack followed her and said nothing further.

**Chapter Three**

"Ok Lara we have been here for an hour." Jack said looking at his watch.

"Yes I know. But I don't know where to go." Lara saw another little small crawl space in the wall a few feet from where she was standing. "Uhh..."

"What?"

"I don't know how I missed this. It was well hidden." Lara started to crawl with Jack following behind her.

Lara and Jack walked up to the bell tower to see it was closed off.

Lara looked for a rock on the ground.

"What are you doing?"

"You'll see."

Lara assembles her slingshot and uses it to shoot the block anchoring the chain attached to the bells. The bells begin to ring, then crash to the ground. Jack pushes Lara out of the way of the falling debris. He lands on top of her he pulled back and looks in her eyes.

After a few seconds Lara pushed him off of her. "Get off of me."

They began to walk into the bell tower and into a hole in the ground and into a tunnel they walked though the tunnel to climb out the other side.

"Ok so where do we go now?"

"We find the tree roots and we'll find his heart."

"I still don't understand why you're helping him."

"I don't know either but I just believe I have to."

"What do you mean?"

"If I help him maybe he'll lead me to the exit. And then we can go home."

They continue walking until they came to a hole.

"The tree roots are down here."

"How do you know?"

"I just do now come on."

They start walking when Lara stops in front of four gray tiles that looked oddly strange. She decides not to walk around them. She grabs a near by torch. She stops to see Jack still standing on the other side of the gray tiles.

"Lara why didn't you just go this way?" He started to walk to her.

"JACK STOP!"

"What? WOOOH!" The tiles start to break and Jack falls luckily grabbing the ledge.

"That's why I didn't walk on them."

"Well are you going to help me up? I'm not comfortable hanging over a spiked pit."

"Well I don't know if I leave you there I wont have to listen to your talking." She started to walk away.

"LARA WAIT! Ok, ok, ok I wont talk any more I promise just get ME OUT!" he shouted as he started to slip.

"Well you got your self in this mess."

"Oh come on Lara we have been friends since we were kids. I know you, and I know you wouldn't let even your worst enemy die."

"Fine!" Lara helped him out of the pit he landed on top of her again. "GET OFF ME!"

They got up and continued to walk until they found the roots of the tree.

"This is it? Where is the heart?"

"They have hidden my petrified heart in this, the World Tree." Lara quoted what the hanged man had said just a few moments ago.

"Umm…" Jack said confused.

Lara burned the roots with the torch. They watched as it burned and the heart fell out.

"Eww disgusting. You're going pick that up?"

"Yeah I have to." Lara took a cloth out of her bag and put the heart in it and put it in the bag.

After picking up the heart Lara and Jack turn as they heard a door opening. They peek into the next room. Father Patrick was standing over an open pit, from which unearthly hissing and groaning can be heard. They voice is loud and the scariest thing Lara had ever heard.

"Go back to your slumberings. This is but a child, and she shall not cross your path for as you shall not cross hers." The Priest leaned over the pit and spoke in a soft calm tone.

"Come closer for often it is easier to be brave from a distance.

"I am here now, and I have a gift for you, you cantankerous worm."

He throws something into the pit.

"Arrgh! Curse you, priest! If you live till dooms day you shall burn a week longer than the world! I swear!"

"Iron. Never found a demon yet that doesn't burn at its touch."

"What was in the hole?"

"In the…never mind that. What on earth are you doing here? No, don't bother. We'll get on to that later. Right now we need to get you out to somewhere safe until the morning. That's assuming you'll stay in once place, young lady.

"Nothing with demons, right?"

"Well, I can't promise anything in this God-forsaken place. I'll light the way and go on ahead to clear out any unwelcome guests. Now once you're out, head to the chapel over the bridge. I'll meet you there. I'm forgetting me manners. Don't speak to strange things, and if there's anything around—and trusting me skills in this area there shouldn't be—iron, girl. Use iron to repel 'em. See you on top. Keep your wits about you."

After giving Lara this advice, Father Patrick leaves the area.

"Wow ok." Jack noticed Lara was watching down the hole. "Lara you ok?"

"Yeah."

"Cause you look kind of pale."

"No I'm ok really."

"Ok."

Lara followed Jack to the hole they came into.

"Lara are you sure your ok?"

"Yeah why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know you looked pale when we ran into the first demon. And when you heard that demon in the hole...you were pale."

"This place just gives me the creeps." She paused as she and Jack climbed out of the tunnel. "Don't worry about me I'm fine."

They started walking when Lara saw a door to her right. By the door was a hole and knew this must be were the heart belonged. After sticking the heart inside the little hole, eerie laughter echoes through the area as the door slide open. Changelings emerge from the crypts along the hillside and come up the path toward Lara and Jack.

"OH CRAP! What do we do now?"

"I don't know."

'Iron, girl, Use iron to repel 'em.' Lara remembered what the priest had said.

"Iron."

"I don't have Iron."

Lara tries to slide back the stone blocking the exit, but the changelings overpower her. They disappear maybe dispelled by her metal belt buckle.

"We have to find iron."

"Where?"

"I don't know just go find some thing." Lara wonders back to the bell tower hoping to find some thing there. Lara notices some thing on the ground and picks it up. When she realizes what it is she runs back to find Jack.

"Found it."

Once again Lara tries to slide back the stone blocking the exit. The changelings enter the room once again trying to stop them. Lara throws the iron clapper to repel them. They begin to back away.

"Wow."

"Can't you ever say any thing else then WOW!" Lara asked punching him.

"OWW! That hurt and that was not a playful punch."

"Really! You think!"

Pushing back the exit Jack and Lara climb down and head toward the Chapel.

"Ok we're here. How bout we just stay here."

"No."

"What?"

"I cant just stay here." Lara walks to an iron gate.

A skeleton in dark robes appears. It passes Lara and goes through the wrought iron gate, turns the jeweled newel on the back of the pew in the side chapel, then disappears through the wall.

"What was that?"

Lara said nothing she walked to the front of the chapel. She found the three carved square tiles at the front of the chapel. She examined them and began to push them in.

"What are you doing?"

"I think these might open that gate back there. But I don't know in what order to push them."

"How do you even know you have to push them."

Lara turned and looked at him. "I…"

"You know what your doing…right ok." Jack said cutting her off. He just walked to the Iron Gate.

Lara tried for the last half hour trying to figure it out.

"Lara I don't think they open the gate cause it hasn't opened yet."

"I just haven't pushed them in the right order yet."

"Lara maybe those are just there just cause."

"I know what I'm doing Jack."

"Of course you do..." He said as he sat down and just watched Lara work.

"What was that? A sarcastic comment?"

"Lara can we just wait for Father Patrick?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Some thing is wrong it's been a half hour he should have been here by now."

"How do you know?"

"We can't just sit here, we have to do some thing. We have to go find him."

"How do you know he isn't dealing with more demons and just running late?"

"I just know Jack ok."

**Chapter four**

Lara had tried all the compensation of the tiles she could think of till she finally got it. The pews move aside making Jack jump up and the wrought iron gate to the side chapel opens. Lara started to walk to the back of the chapel and realized there were 5 phantom skeletons standing around trying to hurt her.

"That was a smart move."

"What?"

"You…. Never mind." Lara twists off the newel and removes the bone dust from inside.

"What are you doing now?"

"JACK!"

"What?"

"If you want to know what I am doing your going to have to wait and see. I know what I am doing and I don't have the time to sit and explain it to you. You need to learn to stop asking me questions every five minutes."

"OK I was just asking."

"Well don't just ask. I helped you out of the pit in exchange that you not talk to me any more."

"Fine you don't want me to talk then I wont." He pretended to zip his lips and leaned against the wall. He just watched her do what she needed to do.

Lara approached the front of the chapel on the left and used the bone dust in a pot in the corner. A flame flared up in the container they heard the phantom skeletons scream and then are disappear.

"Awesome."

"You think every thing is cool don't you."

"Lara I'm just messing around."

"Jack you can't just mess around when you are a tomb raider. When you do you could get yourself killed."

Jack just looked at her and let out a annoyed breath.

"I thought you said you were not going to talk?"

Jack said nothing he just looked down at the ground and ignored her.

"Come on we have to get out of here and find Father Patrick."

They came to a hole and saw there was water at the bottom. Lara jumped down with Jack following after her. They climbed out and saw the robed ghost once again.

"Ok those things are starting to annoy me." Jack said before following behind Lara.

In the next room they came too they both noticed there were three small blue floating lights.

"Ok what else are we going to run into?" Jack said as he and Lara started to follow the lights. The lights let them to what looked like a small maze.

Lara heard a growl that sounded like a wolf. She turned and saw a werewolf coming up behind them.

"Holy crap."

"What do we do now?" Jack started to back up.

"Run!" Lara grabbed Jack's hand and they began to run jumping over the holes in the ground.

Jack tried to look back but he almost fell in the hole. He grabbed the edge. "Lara!"

"Jack. Come on we have to get out of here." Lara pulled him out of the hole as the monster came closer and closer.

When Lara pulled Jack out once again fell on her.

"Why are you always on top of me?"

"You like it and you know it." He joked as they both stood up.

The monster came running closer.

"Run, Come on Jack. We have to go, don't look back this time."

They continued to run for what seemed like an eternity. The small blue lights continued to lead the way out of the maze. Lara started to get tired and felt like she was going to fall over.

"Lara come on, don't give up on me now."

"Jack I can not go any farther. Go with out me."

"And leave you here to be eaten by that thing? No I don't thing so. You coming with me even if I have to carry you." Jack picked her up and gave her a piggyback ride the rest of the way.

Jack and Lara continued to run away from the monster as it seemed to be getting closer and closer.

"I don't think those lights know where their going."

"Well we can't go back."

"How about we drop into one of the holes."

"No I don't think that will lead any where."

Lara and Jack finally came to the end and slide down a ramp.

"Oh great."

"What?"

"Look we were just over there." Jack pointed to a gate behind it was the hole where they jumped into the pool.

Lara sat against the wall she seemed distant.

"Lara?"

She seemed to be paler now then she did earlier.

"Lara sweetie are you ok?"

"NO!" Lara let out a long hard breath.

Jack held her in his arms. "I want to go home. I hate this place, I can't stand dealing with these demons any more." He paused to push her back and looked into her eyes. "Lara...Are you scared?"

"Of course not I'm just tired." She pushed him back causing him to fall on his ass.

"Come on the sooner we find away out, the sooner we'll be home. Safe and sound."

**Chapter Five**

Lara and Jack examine an open coffin that seems to be lead to another room. They cautiously steps through it and slip and stumbles down the ramp. After struggling to their feet Lara turns to see Father Patrick standing nearby holding a flaming torch.

"Good Lord, girl. It's me. I've enough on me plate without you making me jump out of me skin, Lara."

"Your hair..."

"What about me hair?"

"It's... white!"

"Hmm…Aye. That'd be right. Some unpleasant fellows from down below detained me. Gave me quite a fright." He laughs. "That's why I wasn't at the chapel, but I can see you've kept yourself busy. Anyways, let's get you out of here, and back to safety."

He motions for Lara and Jack to go ahead of him and they exit together.

Lara, Jack and Father Patrick emerge from the Labyrinth onto a rainy hillside.

"Right, young lady, I'm going to have a quick look around now for a safe place to put you. Now you stay put, or you'll be banging into something that'll make your hair turn white. And we wouldn't be wanting that now, would we?"

"Father, I found a book in the labyrinth."

"You've been sight-seeing in there as well? Good Lord almighty, girl! I'll be needin' to chain ye to something."

"It has protective symbols. Maybe you can use them."

"Bless you for the thought, but I've enough protection from Him above. And for that diagram to be any good you'd have to draw it out and be sittin' in the middle of it. And you know something, I've left all me coloring pens at home tonight. Now, you'll be doing me a big favor if you were to stay put before you bang into something bigger than you."

"Stay put. Right!"

Lara watched Father Patrick walk away.

"Ok no how bout we just stay here." Jack said leaning against a wall.

"No." Lara said folding her arms.

"Lara you've got to be kidding me."

"No I'm not I cant just stay put."

"But look at what happened at the chapel."

"If we had of stayed there we'd be there forever."

"How do you know that? Maybe he was just about to come for us before we scared him half to death."

"I doubt that."

"Lara you are starting to get on my last nerve."

"If you want to stay here then stay here. But I'm not going to just stand around."

"Lara what if you run into something bigger then you…and you cant get away."

"That's not going to happen."

"How do you know?"

Lara said nothing and just walked past a brown stone on the ground. She didn't know what was about to happen. She hears what sounds like a horse. She looks up and sees a demon horseman appears on the hillside. Lara stands frozen as she watches him come riding closer to try and cut Lara down, then dismounts, grabs her and throws her back to the other end of the path. The he rides off back up the hillside.

"Lara!" Jack ran to her side.

"I'm fine really." Lara straggles to get back to her feet. Still trembling of what just happened. She was normally brave but that just scared the day lights out of her. All she wanted was to go home. She was sick of having to deal with all these demons.

"See what I'm talking about. We should just stay here." Jack helped her off the ground. She just pushed him away.

"No."

"Lara, That demon isn't just going to just let you pass." He pointed to the hillside where the demon had come from.

"No he wont but we can go though this tunnel." Lara pointed to a tunnel just a few feet from where they were standing. She started to walk but Jack grabbed her arm stopping her.

"We? No there is no "we" in this its just you." Jack let go of her arm and backed away.

"Fine then you can stay here if you want. I don't care, but I'm going." Lara started to walk down the tunnel.

When she was out of sight Jack waited a few seconds before going after her. The one thing he always hated about her was she was stubborn. She was hardheaded about every thing. She never listened to him when he spoke. He just wanted to smack sense into her.

'She almost got herself killed a few times. Why dose she want to go and get her self hurt. Or worse killed.' Jack thought to him self. "I don't want to lose her like this. Even if she dose know what she's doing." He said out loud

"Lara…Lara wait." Jack ran after Lara but she was nowhere. "Lara?"

"I'm right here." Lara came walking around a corner.

"Oh."

"Scaredy cat couldn't stay by yourself." Lara joked.

"Oh shut up."

Lara walked to a ledge to see changelings below on another ledge.

"Oh no these guys again."

They looked up and noticed Lara and Jack standing there and started to throw rocks at them.

"OW!" Lara pushed Jack into the safety of the cave.

"What do now?"

"I don't know, find fire that might help."

"How?"

"Maybe it'll scare them off."

"Well were do we find fire?"

"I saw a torch over here some where." Lara walked thought the tunnel to find a torch. "Found it." Walking bout out on to the ledge Lara threw the torch down on the ledge below near the little changelings. They watched the torch fall and when it rolled near them they stared at it for a few seconds then started running in a small circle freaking out.

"Ok what now?"

Lara looked up at the rope hanging she ran and jumped in it.

"Lara."

"What?"

"Don't look down."

"Yeah I'll keep that in mind." Lara turned and started to swing to a small opening in a wall. She let go of the rope to grab the opening. Jack closed his eyes knowing she wouldn't make it. When he opened his eyes she was gone.

"Lara?" He looked down thinking she'd fallen but he didn't see her. When he looked to the hole in the cave wall she was coming out with some thing in her hand. Lara swung on the rope and landed back to the ledge where Jack was standing. "You know you scared me half to death."

"Sorry."

"What's that?"

"Chalk."

"For what? You plan on playing hop scotch?"

"Yeah that's what I'm planning on doing." Lara said sarcastically.

Walking to the back out side the cave where the demon threw her on the ground. Lara stood on the dark brown square in the middle of the path and use the chalk to do some sketching. Lara sketched an arcane symbols upon the tile. The demon horseman charges out of the woods and down the path, but the symbols appear to stop him.

"Lara!" Jack yelled.

Lara stood and backed away form the horseman.

Again he tries to slice Lara with his sword, but Father Patrick comes to the rescue, shoving her aside just in time.

The demon knight grabs the good Father and bonks him in the head with his pommel of his sword, flings him over the horse's back and rides away. Lara and Jack run after the horseman.

When Lara and Jack finally spot a barn they slowly approach it. The demon knight bursts out of the barn on horseback, still carrying Father Patrick.

"Who is this that stands before me? The first to visit me in my prison seven hundred years past."

"Seven hundred years, all alone in a barn? Huh, those winter nights must have just flown by."

"Silence, ignorant heretic, or I behead you!"

The horseman then shoves the priest off the horse. He lands on the ground in a heap.

"Leave him be!"

"For the child has spirit, but what is that? When this island is littered with the bones of holy men. My gift to them for their spirit in obstructing me from claiming my rightful inheritance."

"And this inheritance, I would wonder, would be some way to explain why your walking and breathing when you should be gone long past?"

"The inheritance is the gift of eternal life. Contained within an ancient scroll. Concealed by the dullard Abbot and his cohorts, the scroll which draws forth pale demon blood through my veins. I am no longer man. I am one for the earth and one for above the gaping abyss of Hades."

"So why stay on the island? Came for a holiday and fell in love with the scenery?"

"Hold your yapping tongue for want I clip it! Boils and plagues plaster over this island and its treacherous inhabitants! For it was they, and their ox little abbot, who plotted to incarcerate me in this dungeon hall for an eternity. I, Vladimir Kaleta, who worshipped in the first Kremlin, who butchered the Swede and the Lefsky on the banks of the River Neva. Incarcerated within this prison of flowing water!"

"Running water… You're trapped here by running water!" Lara said.

"Demons cannot cross running water."

"Indeed. The abbot's final trick before I was transformed." He then turned to Lara. "And you shall find a way to shore up this stream or your holy man shall be opened up and gutted like live stock."

The demon then hauls Father Patrick back onto the horse, mounts and rides back into the barn. The doors slam shut behind them.

"Holy…Ok this just keeps getting weirder." Jack said frozen in the spot he was standing in.

"Yeah it dose, come on we have to save Father."

"Well what do we have to do?"

"Shut off the water."

"How?"

"I really don't know there has to be something here that turns it off. We just have to find it."

"Ok so where should we go first?"

Lara said nothing she just started walking. She came to a waterwheel.

"So the thing we need to use to turn off the water is in there."

"Yeah I guess so, boy you're so smart."

"Lara I didn't follow you just to hear you be a smart ass to me."

Lara stopped, "Why did you follow me? And do say it was to make sure I was ok. Cause I hardly believe after what you put me though…you could give a damn about me."

"Lara I still love you. I never stopped, and I don't know why you would think I don't care for you. Cause I do, I know what I did was wrong. I know that now and I am very sorry for that. I really am, I do care for that's why I came, why I followed you."

**Chapter Six**

After de-activating the waterwheel, Lara and Jack emerge from the small mill. The demon horseman again bursts out of the barn. He raises his arms and shouts out his triumph. As he speaks, he lifts Father Patrick from the horse.

"Your child has done her job well, and I taste freedom for the first time in an eon. You will now fear me? For you have served your purpose well holy man, and for this should I exercise mercy as a god might?"

"Now that'd be nice, but I'm not holdin' me breath."

"Yes, I shall spare and secure for you a fate worse than death! For when you pass beyond this world, Heaven shall no longer welcome you, for you have released a demon."

"My faith will protect me from feckless lesser demons as yourself."

Enraged, the horseman head-butts Father Patrick and then flings him to the ground.

"Father!"

"Ah! The child. I shall snuff out her life as a candle."

"The book from the library…" Lara backs away as the demon advances toward her.

"The names… read out the names."

Lara takes the Bestiary from her backpack, opens it and begins to read. The horseman continues to advance.

"Askeroth. Aqueil. Arrancula. Belial. Bucom. Boliath. . . . Help me!"

"Keep reading, girl, you're almost there."

"Camos. . . Masteflou. . . ."

The horseman raises his sword to take a swing at Lara, but Father Patrick lunges at the horseman from behind. He tries to tackle the horseman, but the demon breaks away and flings him aside. Just as the horseman is about to strike Lara down, she hits on the correct name.

"Verdilet!"

The horseman is paralyzed. "How is this? I move to strike and yet cannot!"

"You've done well, girl, and before you ask, I'll tell ye. The book you've got, I myself was looking for it, but as I couldn't find it, assumed you had it, and lucky ye did!"

"But how…?"

"If you name a demon, you have power over it, and you named him! It's your shout, Lara."

"For this you shall burn for eternity! I shall drown you in a mire of your own entrails before I squeeze…"

"Be quiet!"

"What ye reckon we get out of this God-forsaken place and go and get a nice cup of tea with Winston? Almost forgot, would you be wantin' to wave goodbye to our little friend?"

"Back to where you belong!"

The demon vanishes. Father Patrick puts an arm around Lara and they leave together.

Father Patrick, Lara and Jack sail home.

"And you'll have learned a few valuable lesions from that, I be thinkin'."

"You'd be thinking right, Father."

"I have to…never follow Lara on an adventure again."

"Now see why I didn't want to tell you what I do?"

"Yeah but I still don't like that you lied to me."

"Jack please, don't start this again."

"Don't start what?"

"You hurt me worse then I hurt you."

"Oh come on." He paused waiting for her to answer. "Lara…"

"Don't Lara me."

"I thought we got passed this?"

"Well I guess we haven't, when we get home I never want to talk to you again." Lara walked to another part of the boat.

"She's crazy." Jack sat down and leaned his head against the side of the boat.

"Ahh young love." Father Patrick said with a laugh.

**THE END**

Chapter Two

As Lara and Jack enter the Gallows Tree area she is startled by the ring of a church bell from the tower behind her. This place was just getting creepier by the minute. As she slowly approached the tree, there is a flash of light that made her and Jack turn away. They saw a rotting corpse had appeared hanging from one of the branches.

Lara jumps back a bit when she sees what is hanging from the tree. 'What I'm dealing with demons now.' She thought.

The man spoke in a deep voice almost like a smokers voice "Come child's. Come closer for I have gifts for thee."

"I'll stay where I am."

He began to laugh before he spoke again. "Fear not this visage. For it is but a vessel for my troubled spirit…Come closer for you are safe while I am hung like so much butchered meat."

"Who…are…you?"

"Who? Hmmm… For it is more like what. Condemned to wander between the kingdoms of man and that of the elementals. Hmmm…But I must be swift in my request. Hissss…for they watch and wait to once more draw me back into the darkness!"

"Request?" Lara said in a curious tone but Jack could hear that she was a little scared.

"My heart, girl! They have hidden my petrified heart in this, the World Tree. Down under the watchful gaze of the dragon, Nidhogg. Hmm… Find this, my child's, and return it to its rightful resting place. Hiss…and you shall be rewarded!"

"And why on earth should I trust…you?"

"Not on earth, girl, In between. My soul is gone and how it fares nobody knows and nobody cares."

With a choking laugh and another flash of light, the corpse disappears.

"What the bloody hell was that?"

"A dead corpse what did it look like?"

"What…Lara."

"What?" She just looked at him. "It was a demon."

"Ok we are dealing with demons? You're not really thinking about finding his heart."

"Well…Yeah."

"Lara if he is a demon you shouldn't give a bloody rat's ass"

"Well what else am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know but you don't help a demon."

Lara walked over to the tree they both heard and saw a barrel falling over. A channeling came running out and after Lara.

"Get that thing away from me!"

Jack kicked it and it fell into the fire near by.

Lara just laughed and walked away.

"What? Why are you laughing at me?"

"Nothing just funny that you're scared of a little thing like that. And I never knew you screamed like a little girl." Lara started to walk to find a way out.

"Hey I didn't scream like a little girl."

"Sure ok."

"Ok so how do we get out of here?"

"I don't know. I'm looking."

"Well hurry up I want to go home. I am just getting a really bad vibe from this place."

"If you don't like this place why did you follow me?"

"Well…I didn't know what I was getting myself into."

"Yeah. You never do, do you?"

"I can see it was a BIG mistake coming here."

"You got that right. Why did you follow me?"

Jack stood there not saying a word.

"Why couldn't you just trust me?"

"Trust You?"

"Yeah."

"Trust you?"

"YES!"

"Lara how can I trust some one when they keep something from me?"

Lara said nothing.

"For all I knew you could have been cheating on me."

"CHEATING!"

"Yeah."

"Jack I never cheated you know I would never..."

Jack rolled his eyes and turned away.

"Look at me! I kept this from you because it was to dangerous for you to know what I do."

"What is it you do Lara?"

Lara said nothing just continued looking for away out.

"Lara I asked you a question and I want an answer."

"Not right now. You said you want to go home so I'm try to look for away out of here."

"You always do this."

"DO what?"

"Avoid the questions you don't want to answer."

"I'm not avoiding the question."

"Oh really is that right."

"Yes."

"Find Ms. Croft if you're not avoiding the question. Then answer it."

"I hate when you call me Ms. Croft."

"HA! Avoiding..."

"SHUT UP! Jack I don't want to deal with this right now."

Lara noticed a crawl space and started to go though it. When she came out the other side she noticed a house. It looked very dark inside, looked as if no one had lived there in years. There was only a haystack and a cabinet every thing else seemed to be gone.

"No one seems to be home." Jack said peeking in the window to see nothing.

"Perfect lets go."

"Wait your going to go in there?" Jack grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Yeah maybe I will find some thing to get us out."

"But Lara you can just go into some one else's home with out asking."

"Well their not home and you want to get out of here. Unless you want to stay here and deal with more demons." Lara said with a sarcastic smile.

"Lets go." Jack pushed pass Lara and opened the door to the house before her. "What are we looking for?"

"I don't know some thing that will help us find our way out."

"Well there isn't much here these people must have moved."

"Probably couldn't handle the demons."

"Yeah." Jack saw some thing on the floor and picked it up. "Oh lookie."

"Oh Lookie? You sound like a two year old."

Jack ignored her smart comment. "A sling shot." He held it up and showed it to her.

Lara took it from his hands slipped it in her backpack and walked out.

"Hey you know I found that first."

"Jack, It dose not matter who found it I'm the one with the backpack. And I don't expect you to do climbing while you're holding a slingshot. And besides, I know what I am doing. I have had training to do this. I've learned from the best." Lara said with sadness in her voice remember how she had to leave him behind to save herself. Guilt started to flood back into her mind. But she pushed it away. There was no time for guilt or sorrow.

"To do what?"

Lara didn't answer.

"TO DO WHAT LARA! What is it you do?" He said grabbing her arm and gripping hard.

"Tomb Raider." For the first time she stopped and looked at him

"Is this what you have been hiding from me?"

"Yes."

"Why? I thought you trusted me."

"Jack I couldn't tell you, Von Croy he said it was to dangerous for you to know."

"Von Croy?"

"The man who trained me to be what I am."

"Lara I'm sorry I didn't know."

Lara turned and started to walk.

"Lara if I know I would have trusted you. But you know I would have still followed you."

"I'm not upset about you breaking up with me. And that's why I didn't want you to know. I couldn't risk you following me and you getting hurt, and what if I didn't know you were there. What if you got behind and couldn't find me. You'd be dead, you'd die with out the proper training."

"Then train me.

"Jack, I can't do that."

"Why not Lara?"

"Jack I can't have you with me. I do better on my own. And you following me all the time it's just going to slow me down. Just like you are now with all this talking."

"I only followed you and wanted to come so that I would know you were ok."

"Jack I don't need you checking on me I have had training. I know what I have to do."

"Ok then if you know what to do then how do we get out?"

"I don't know ok. It doesn't work that way."

Jack followed her and said nothing further.

Chapter Three

"Ok Lara we have been here for an hour." Jack said looking at his watch.

"Yes I know. But I don't know where to go." Lara saw another little small crawl space in the wall a few feet from where she was standing. "Uhh..."

"What?"

"I don't know how I missed this. It was well hidden." Lara started to crawl with Jack following behind her.

Lara and Jack walked up to the bell tower to see it was closed off.

Lara looked for a rock on the ground.

"What are you doing?"

"You'll see."

Lara assembles her slingshot and uses it to shoot the block anchoring the chain attached to the bells. The bells begin to ring, then crash to the ground. Jack pushes Lara out of the way of the falling debris. He lands on top of her he pulled back and looks in her eyes.

After a few seconds Lara pushed him off of her. "Get off of me."

They began to walk into the bell tower and into a hole in the ground and into a tunnel they walked though the tunnel to climb out the other side.

"Ok so where do we go now?"

"We find the tree roots and we'll find his heart."

"I still don't understand why you're helping him."

"I don't know either but I just believe I have to."

"What do you mean?"

"If I help him maybe he'll lead me to the exit. And then we can go home."

They continue walking until they came to a hole.

"The tree roots are down here."

"How do you know?"

"I just do now come on."

They start walking when Lara stops in front of four gray tiles that looked oddly strange. She decides not to walk around them. She grabs a near by torch. She stops to see Jack still standing on the other side of the gray tiles.

"Lara why didn't you just go this way?" He started to walk to her.

"JACK STOP!"

"What? WOOOH!" The tiles start to break and Jack falls luckily grabbing the ledge.

"That's why I didn't walk on them."

"Well are you going to help me up? I'm not comfortable hanging over a spiked pit."

"Well I don't know if I leave you there I wont have to listen to your talking." She started to walk away.

"LARA WAIT! Ok, ok, ok I wont talk any more I promise just get ME OUT!" he shouted as he started to slip.

"Well you got your self in this mess."

"Oh come on Lara we have been friends since we were kids. I know you, and I know you wouldn't let even your worst enemy die."

"Fine!" Lara helped him out of the pit he landed on top of her again. "GET OFF ME!"

They got up and continued to walk until they found the roots of the tree.

"This is it? Where is the heart?"

"They have hidden my petrified heart in this, the World Tree." Lara quoted what the hanged man had said just a few moments ago.

"Umm…" Jack said confused.

Lara burned the roots with the torch. They watched as it burned and the heart fell out.

"Eww disgusting. You're going pick that up?"

"Yeah I have to." Lara took a cloth out of her bag and put the heart in it and put it in the bag.

After picking up the heart Lara and Jack turn as they heard a door opening. They peek into the next room. Father Patrick was standing over an open pit, from which unearthly hissing and groaning can be heard. They voice is loud and the scariest thing Lara had ever heard.

"Go back to your slumberings. This is but a child, and she shall not cross your path for as you shall not cross hers." The Priest leaned over the pit and spoke in a soft calm tone.

"Come closer for often it is easier to be brave from a distance.

"I am here now, and I have a gift for you, you cantankerous worm."

He throws something into the pit.

"Arrgh! Curse you, priest! If you live till dooms day you shall burn a week longer than the world! I swear!"

"Iron. Never found a demon yet that doesn't burn at its touch."

"What was in the hole?"

"In the…never mind that. What on earth are you doing here? No, don't bother. We'll get on to that later. Right now we need to get you out to somewhere safe until the morning. That's assuming you'll stay in once place, young lady.

"Nothing with demons, right?"

"Well, I can't promise anything in this God-forsaken place. I'll light the way and go on ahead to clear out any unwelcome guests. Now once you're out, head to the chapel over the bridge. I'll meet you there. I'm forgetting me manners. Don't speak to strange things, and if there's anything around—and trusting me skills in this area there shouldn't be—iron, girl. Use iron to repel 'em. See you on top. Keep your wits about you."

After giving Lara this advice, Father Patrick leaves the area.

"Wow ok." Jack noticed Lara was watching down the hole. "Lara you ok?"

"Yeah."

"Cause you look kind of pale."

"No I'm ok really."

"Ok."

Lara followed Jack to the hole they came into.

"Lara are you sure your ok?"

"Yeah why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know you looked pale when we ran into the first demon. And when you heard that demon in the hole...you were pale."

"This place just gives me the creeps." She paused as she and Jack climbed out of the tunnel. "Don't worry about me I'm fine."

They started walking when Lara saw a door to her right. By the door was a hole and knew this must be were the heart belonged. After sticking the heart inside the little hole, eerie laughter echoes through the area as the door slide open. Changelings emerge from the crypts along the hillside and come up the path toward Lara and Jack.

"OH CRAP! What do we do now?"

"I don't know."

'Iron, girl, Use iron to repel 'em.' Lara remembered what the priest had said.

"Iron."

"I don't have Iron."

Lara tries to slide back the stone blocking the exit, but the changelings overpower her. They disappear maybe dispelled by her metal belt buckle.

"We have to find iron."

"Where?"

"I don't know just go find some thing." Lara wonders back to the bell tower hoping to find some thing there. Lara notices some thing on the ground and picks it up. When she realizes what it is she runs back to find Jack.

"Found it."

Once again Lara tries to slide back the stone blocking the exit. The changelings enter the room once again trying to stop them. Lara throws the iron clapper to repel them. They begin to back away.

"Wow."

"Can't you ever say any thing else then WOW!" Lara asked punching him.

"OWW! That hurt and that was not a playful punch."

"Really! You think!"

Pushing back the exit Jack and Lara climb down and head toward the Chapel.

"Ok we're here. How bout we just stay here."

"No."

"What?"

"I cant just stay here." Lara walks to an iron gate.

A skeleton in dark robes appears. It passes Lara and goes through the wrought iron gate, turns the jeweled newel on the back of the pew in the side chapel, then disappears through the wall.

"What was that?"

Lara said nothing she walked to the front of the chapel. She found the three carved square tiles at the front of the chapel. She examined them and began to push them in.

"What are you doing?"

"I think these might open that gate back there. But I don't know in what order to push them."

"How do you even know you have to push them."

Lara turned and looked at him. "I…"

"You know what your doing…right ok." Jack said cutting her off. He just walked to the Iron Gate.

Lara tried for the last half hour trying to figure it out.

"Lara I don't think they open the gate cause it hasn't opened yet."

"I just haven't pushed them in the right order yet."

"Lara maybe those are just there just cause."

"I know what I'm doing Jack."

"Of course you do..." He said as he sat down and just watched Lara work.

"What was that? A sarcastic comment?"

"Lara can we just wait for Father Patrick?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Some thing is wrong it's been a half hour he should have been here by now."

"How do you know?"

"We can't just sit here, we have to do some thing. We have to go find him."

"How do you know he isn't dealing with more demons and just running late?"

"I just know Jack ok."

Chapter four

Lara had tried all the compensation of the tiles she could think of till she finally got it. The pews move aside making Jack jump up and the wrought iron gate to the side chapel opens. Lara started to walk to the back of the chapel and realized there were 5 phantom skeletons standing around trying to hurt her.

"That was a smart move."

"What?"

"You…. Never mind." Lara twists off the newel and removes the bone dust from inside.

"What are you doing now?"

"JACK!"

"What?"

"If you want to know what I am doing your going to have to wait and see. I know what I am doing and I don't have the time to sit and explain it to you. You need to learn to stop asking me questions every five minutes."

"OK I was just asking."

"Well don't just ask. I helped you out of the pit in exchange that you not talk to me any more."

"Fine you don't want me to talk then I wont." He pretended to zip his lips and leaned against the wall. He just watched her do what she needed to do.

Lara approached the front of the chapel on the left and used the bone dust in a pot in the corner. A flame flared up in the container they heard the phantom skeletons scream and then are disappear.

"Awesome."

"You think every thing is cool don't you."

"Lara I'm just messing around."

"Jack you can't just mess around when you are a tomb raider. When you do you could get yourself killed."

Jack just looked at her and let out a annoyed breath.

"I thought you said you were not going to talk?"

Jack said nothing he just looked down at the ground and ignored her.

"Come on we have to get out of here and find Father Patrick."

They came to a hole and saw there was water at the bottom. Lara jumped down with Jack following after her. They climbed out and saw the robed ghost once again.

"Ok those things are starting to annoy me." Jack said before following behind Lara.

In the next room they came too they both noticed there were three small blue floating lights.

"Ok what else are we going to run into?" Jack said as he and Lara started to follow the lights. The lights let them to what looked like a small maze.

Lara heard a growl that sounded like a wolf. She turned and saw a werewolf coming up behind them.

"Holy crap."

"What do we do now?" Jack started to back up.

"Run!" Lara grabbed Jack's hand and they began to run jumping over the holes in the ground.

Jack tried to look back but he almost fell in the hole. He grabbed the edge. "Lara!"

"Jack. Come on we have to get out of here." Lara pulled him out of the hole as the monster came closer and closer.

When Lara pulled Jack out once again fell on her.

"Why are you always on top of me?"

"You like it and you know it." He joked as they both stood up.

The monster came running closer.

"Run, Come on Jack. We have to go, don't look back this time."

They continued to run for what seemed like an eternity. The small blue lights continued to lead the way out of the maze. Lara started to get tired and felt like she was going to fall over.

"Lara come on, don't give up on me now."

"Jack I can not go any farther. Go with out me."

"And leave you here to be eaten by that thing? No I don't thing so. You coming with me even if I have to carry you." Jack picked her up and gave her a piggyback ride the rest of the way.

Jack and Lara continued to run away from the monster as it seemed to be getting closer and closer.

"I don't think those lights know where their going."

"Well we can't go back."

"How about we drop into one of the holes."

"No I don't think that will lead any where."

Lara and Jack finally came to the end and slide down a ramp.

"Oh great."

"What?"

"Look we were just over there." Jack pointed to a gate behind it was the hole where they jumped into the pool.

Lara sat against the wall she seemed distant.

"Lara?"

She seemed to be paler now then she did earlier.

"Lara sweetie are you ok?"

"NO!" Lara let out a long hard breath.

Jack held her in his arms. "I want to go home. I hate this place, I can't stand dealing with these demons any more." He paused to push her back and looked into her eyes. "Lara...Are you scared?"

"Of course not I'm just tired." She pushed him back causing him to fall on his ass.

"Come on the sooner we find away out, the sooner we'll be home. Safe and sound."

Chapter Five

Lara and Jack examine an open coffin that seems to be lead to another room. They cautiously steps through it and slip and stumbles down the ramp. After struggling to their feet Lara turns to see Father Patrick standing nearby holding a flaming torch.

"Good Lord, girl. It's me. I've enough on me plate without you making me jump out of me skin, Lara."

"Your hair..."

"What about me hair?"

"It's... white!"

"Hmm…Aye. That'd be right. Some unpleasant fellows from down below detained me. Gave me quite a fright." He laughs. "That's why I wasn't at the chapel, but I can see you've kept yourself busy. Anyways, let's get you out of here, and back to safety."

He motions for Lara and Jack to go ahead of him and they exit together.

Lara, Jack and Father Patrick emerge from the Labyrinth onto a rainy hillside.

"Right, young lady, I'm going to have a quick look around now for a safe place to put you. Now you stay put, or you'll be banging into something that'll make your hair turn white. And we wouldn't be wanting that now, would we?"

"Father, I found a book in the labyrinth."

"You've been sight-seeing in there as well? Good Lord almighty, girl! I'll be needin' to chain ye to something."

"It has protective symbols. Maybe you can use them."

"Bless you for the thought, but I've enough protection from Him above. And for that diagram to be any good you'd have to draw it out and be sittin' in the middle of it. And you know something, I've left all me coloring pens at home tonight. Now, you'll be doing me a big favor if you were to stay put before you bang into something bigger than you."

"Stay put. Right!"

Lara watched Father Patrick walk away.

"Ok no how bout we just stay here." Jack said leaning against a wall.

"No." Lara said folding her arms.

"Lara you've got to be kidding me."

"No I'm not I cant just stay put."

"But look at what happened at the chapel."

"If we had of stayed there we'd be there forever."

"How do you know that? Maybe he was just about to come for us before we scared him half to death."

"I doubt that."

"Lara you are starting to get on my last nerve."

"If you want to stay here then stay here. But I'm not going to just stand around."

"Lara what if you run into something bigger then you…and you cant get away."

"That's not going to happen."

"How do you know?"

Lara said nothing and just walked past a brown stone on the ground. She didn't know what was about to happen. She hears what sounds like a horse. She looks up and sees a demon horseman appears on the hillside. Lara stands frozen as she watches him come riding closer to try and cut Lara down, then dismounts, grabs her and throws her back to the other end of the path. The he rides off back up the hillside.

"Lara!" Jack ran to her side.

"I'm fine really." Lara straggles to get back to her feet. Still trembling of what just happened. She was normally brave but that just scared the day lights out of her. All she wanted was to go home. She was sick of having to deal with all these demons.

"See what I'm talking about. We should just stay here." Jack helped her off the ground. She just pushed him away.

"No."

"Lara, That demon isn't just going to just let you pass." He pointed to the hillside where the demon had come from.

"No he wont but we can go though this tunnel." Lara pointed to a tunnel just a few feet from where they were standing. She started to walk but Jack grabbed her arm stopping her.

"We? No there is no "we" in this its just you." Jack let go of her arm and backed away.

"Fine then you can stay here if you want. I don't care, but I'm going." Lara started to walk down the tunnel.

When she was out of sight Jack waited a few seconds before going after her. The one thing he always hated about her was she was stubborn. She was hardheaded about every thing. She never listened to him when he spoke. He just wanted to smack sense into her.

'She almost got herself killed a few times. Why dose she want to go and get her self hurt. Or worse killed.' Jack thought to him self. "I don't want to lose her like this. Even if she dose know what she's doing." He said out loud

"Lara…Lara wait." Jack ran after Lara but she was nowhere. "Lara?"

"I'm right here." Lara came walking around a corner.

"Oh."

"Scaredy cat couldn't stay by yourself." Lara joked.

"Oh shut up."

Lara walked to a ledge to see changelings below on another ledge.

"Oh no these guys again."

They looked up and noticed Lara and Jack standing there and started to throw rocks at them.

"OW!" Lara pushed Jack into the safety of the cave.

"What do now?"

"I don't know, find fire that might help."

"How?"

"Maybe it'll scare them off."

"Well were do we find fire?"

"I saw a torch over here some where." Lara walked thought the tunnel to find a torch. "Found it." Walking bout out on to the ledge Lara threw the torch down on the ledge below near the little changelings. They watched the torch fall and when it rolled near them they stared at it for a few seconds then started running in a small circle freaking out.

"Ok what now?"

Lara looked up at the rope hanging she ran and jumped in it.

"Lara."

"What?"

"Don't look down."

"Yeah I'll keep that in mind." Lara turned and started to swing to a small opening in a wall. She let go of the rope to grab the opening. Jack closed his eyes knowing she wouldn't make it. When he opened his eyes she was gone.

"Lara?" He looked down thinking she'd fallen but he didn't see her. When he looked to the hole in the cave wall she was coming out with some thing in her hand. Lara swung on the rope and landed back to the ledge where Jack was standing. "You know you scared me half to death."

"Sorry."

"What's that?"

"Chalk."

"For what? You plan on playing hop scotch?"

"Yeah that's what I'm planning on doing." Lara said sarcastically.

Walking to the back out side the cave where the demon threw her on the ground. Lara stood on the dark brown square in the middle of the path and use the chalk to do some sketching. Lara sketched an arcane symbols upon the tile. The demon horseman charges out of the woods and down the path, but the symbols appear to stop him.

"Lara!" Jack yelled.

Lara stood and backed away form the horseman.

Again he tries to slice Lara with his sword, but Father Patrick comes to the rescue, shoving her aside just in time.

The demon knight grabs the good Father and bonks him in the head with his pommel of his sword, flings him over the horse's back and rides away. Lara and Jack run after the horseman.

When Lara and Jack finally spot a barn they slowly approach it. The demon knight bursts out of the barn on horseback, still carrying Father Patrick.

"Who is this that stands before me? The first to visit me in my prison seven hundred years past."

"Seven hundred years, all alone in a barn? Huh, those winter nights must have just flown by."

"Silence, ignorant heretic, or I behead you!"

The horseman then shoves the priest off the horse. He lands on the ground in a heap.

"Leave him be!"

"For the child has spirit, but what is that? When this island is littered with the bones of holy men. My gift to them for their spirit in obstructing me from claiming my rightful inheritance."

"And this inheritance, I would wonder, would be some way to explain why your walking and breathing when you should be gone long past?"

"The inheritance is the gift of eternal life. Contained within an ancient scroll. Concealed by the dullard Abbot and his cohorts, the scroll which draws forth pale demon blood through my veins. I am no longer man. I am one for the earth and one for above the gaping abyss of Hades."

"So why stay on the island? Came for a holiday and fell in love with the scenery?"

"Hold your yapping tongue for want I clip it! Boils and plagues plaster over this island and its treacherous inhabitants! For it was they, and their ox little abbot, who plotted to incarcerate me in this dungeon hall for an eternity. I, Vladimir Kaleta, who worshipped in the first Kremlin, who butchered the Swede and the Lefsky on the banks of the River Neva. Incarcerated within this prison of flowing water!"

"Running water… You're trapped here by running water!" Lara said.

"Demons cannot cross running water."

"Indeed. The abbot's final trick before I was transformed." He then turned to Lara. "And you shall find a way to shore up this stream or your holy man shall be opened up and gutted like live stock."

The demon then hauls Father Patrick back onto the horse, mounts and rides back into the barn. The doors slam shut behind them.

"Holy…Ok this just keeps getting weirder." Jack said frozen in the spot he was standing in.

"Yeah it dose, come on we have to save Father."

"Well what do we have to do?"

"Shut off the water."

"How?"

"I really don't know there has to be something here that turns it off. We just have to find it."

"Ok so where should we go first?"

Lara said nothing she just started walking. She came to a waterwheel.

"So the thing we need to use to turn off the water is in there."

"Yeah I guess so, boy you're so smart."

"Lara I didn't follow you just to hear you be a smart ass to me."

Lara stopped, "Why did you follow me? And do say it was to make sure I was ok. Cause I hardly believe after what you put me though…you could give a damn about me."

"Lara I still love you. I never stopped, and I don't know why you would think I don't care for you. Cause I do, I know what I did was wrong. I know that now and I am very sorry for that. I really am, I do care for that's why I came, why I followed you."

Chapter Six

After de-activating the waterwheel, Lara and Jack emerge from the small mill. The demon horseman again bursts out of the barn. He raises his arms and shouts out his triumph. As he speaks, he lifts Father Patrick from the horse.

"Your child has done her job well, and I taste freedom for the first time in an eon. You will now fear me? For you have served your purpose well holy man, and for this should I exercise mercy as a god might?"

"Now that'd be nice, but I'm not holdin' me breath."

"Yes, I shall spare and secure for you a fate worse than death! For when you pass beyond this world, Heaven shall no longer welcome you, for you have released a demon."

"My faith will protect me from feckless lesser demons as yourself."

Enraged, the horseman head-butts Father Patrick and then flings him to the ground.

"Father!"

"Ah! The child. I shall snuff out her life as a candle."

"The book from the library…" Lara backs away as the demon advances toward her.

"The names… read out the names."

Lara takes the Bestiary from her backpack, opens it and begins to read. The horseman continues to advance.

"Askeroth. Aqueil. Arrancula. Belial. Bucom. Boliath. . . . Help me!"

"Keep reading, girl, you're almost there."

"Camos. . . Masteflou. . . ."

The horseman raises his sword to take a swing at Lara, but Father Patrick lunges at the horseman from behind. He tries to tackle the horseman, but the demon breaks away and flings him aside. Just as the horseman is about to strike Lara down, she hits on the correct name.

"Verdilet!"

The horseman is paralyzed. "How is this? I move to strike and yet cannot!"

"You've done well, girl, and before you ask, I'll tell ye. The book you've got, I myself was looking for it, but as I couldn't find it, assumed you had it, and lucky ye did!"

"But how…?"

"If you name a demon, you have power over it, and you named him! It's your shout, Lara."

"For this you shall burn for eternity! I shall drown you in a mire of your own entrails before I squeeze…"

"Be quiet!"

"What ye reckon we get out of this God-forsaken place and go and get a nice cup of tea with Winston? Almost forgot, would you be wantin' to wave goodbye to our little friend?"

"Back to where you belong!"

The demon vanishes. Father Patrick puts an arm around Lara and they leave together.

Father Patrick, Lara and Jack sail home.

"And you'll have learned a few valuable lesions from that, I be thinkin'."

"You'd be thinking right, Father."

"I have to…never follow Lara on an adventure again."

"Now see why I didn't want to tell you what I do?"

"Yeah but I still don't like that you lied to me."

"Jack please, don't start this again."

"Don't start what?"

"You hurt me worse then I hurt you."

"Oh come on." He paused waiting for her to answer. "Lara…"

"Don't Lara me."

"I thought we got passed this?"

"Well I guess we haven't, when we get home I never want to talk to you again." Lara walked to another part of the boat.

"She's crazy." Jack sat down and leaned his head against the side of the boat.

"Ahh young love." Father Patrick said with a laugh.

THE END


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

As Lara and Jack enter the Gallows Tree area she is startled by the ring of a church bell from the tower behind her. This place was just getting creepier by the minute. As she slowly approached the tree, there is a flash of light that made her and Jack turn away. They saw a rotting corpse had appeared hanging from one of the branches.

Lara jumps back a bit when she sees what is hanging from the tree. 'What I'm dealing with demons now.' She thought.

The man spoke in a deep voice almost like a smokers voice "Come child's. Come closer for I have gifts for thee."

"I'll stay where I am."

He began to laugh before he spoke again. "Fear not this visage. For it is but a vessel for my troubled spirit…Come closer for you are safe while I am hung like so much butchered meat."

"Who…are…you?"

"Who? Hmmm… For it is more like what. Condemned to wander between the kingdoms of man and that of the elementals. Hmmm…But I must be swift in my request. Hissss…for they watch and wait to once more draw me back into the darkness!"

"Request?" Lara said in a curious tone but Jack could hear that she was a little scared.

"My heart, girl! They have hidden my petrified heart in this, the World Tree. Down under the watchful gaze of the dragon, Nidhogg. Hmm… Find this, my child's, and return it to its rightful resting place. Hiss…and you shall be rewarded!"

"And why on earth should I trust…you?"

"Not on earth, girl, In between. My soul is gone and how it fares nobody knows and nobody cares."

With a choking laugh and another flash of light, the corpse disappears.

"What the bloody hell was that?"

"A dead corpse what did it look like?"

"What…Lara."

"What?" She just looked at him. "It was a demon."

"Ok we are dealing with demons? You're not really thinking about finding his heart."

"Well…Yeah."

"Lara if he is a demon you shouldn't give a bloody rat's ass"

"Well what else am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know but you don't help a demon."

Lara walked over to the tree they both heard and saw a barrel falling over. A channeling came running out and after Lara.

"Get that thing away from me!"

Jack kicked it and it fell into the fire near by.

Lara just laughed and walked away.

"What? Why are you laughing at me?"

"Nothing just funny that you're scared of a little thing like that. And I never knew you screamed like a little girl." Lara started to walk to find a way out.

"Hey I didn't scream like a little girl."

"Sure ok."

"Ok so how do we get out of here?"

"I don't know. I'm looking."

"Well hurry up I want to go home. I am just getting a really bad vibe from this place."

"If you don't like this place why did you follow me?"

"Well…I didn't know what I was getting myself into."

"Yeah. You never do, do you?"

"I can see it was a BIG mistake coming here."

"You got that right. Why did you follow me?"

Jack stood there not saying a word.

"Why couldn't you just trust me?"

"Trust You?"

"Yeah."

"Trust you?"

"YES!"

"Lara how can I trust some one when they keep something from me?"

Lara said nothing.

"For all I knew you could have been cheating on me."

"CHEATING!"

"Yeah."

"Jack I never cheated you know I would never..."

Jack rolled his eyes and turned away.

"Look at me! I kept this from you because it was to dangerous for you to know what I do."

"What is it you do Lara?"

Lara said nothing just continued looking for away out.

"Lara I asked you a question and I want an answer."

"Not right now. You said you want to go home so I'm try to look for away out of here."

"You always do this."

"DO what?"

"Avoid the questions you don't want to answer."

"I'm not avoiding the question."

"Oh really is that right."

"Yes."

"Find Ms. Croft if you're not avoiding the question. Then answer it."

"I hate when you call me Ms. Croft."

"HA! Avoiding..."

"SHUT UP! Jack I don't want to deal with this right now."

Lara noticed a crawl space and started to go though it. When she came out the other side she noticed a house. It looked very dark inside, looked as if no one had lived there in years. There was only a haystack and a cabinet every thing else seemed to be gone.

"No one seems to be home." Jack said peeking in the window to see nothing.

"Perfect lets go."

"Wait your going to go in there?" Jack grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Yeah maybe I will find some thing to get us out."

"But Lara you can just go into some one else's home with out asking."

"Well their not home and you want to get out of here. Unless you want to stay here and deal with more demons." Lara said with a sarcastic smile.

"Lets go." Jack pushed pass Lara and opened the door to the house before her. "What are we looking for?"

"I don't know some thing that will help us find our way out."

"Well there isn't much here these people must have moved."

"Probably couldn't handle the demons."

"Yeah." Jack saw some thing on the floor and picked it up. "Oh lookie."

"Oh Lookie? You sound like a two year old."

Jack ignored her smart comment. "A sling shot." He held it up and showed it to her.

Lara took it from his hands slipped it in her backpack and walked out.

"Hey you know I found that first."

"Jack, It dose not matter who found it I'm the one with the backpack. And I don't expect you to do climbing while you're holding a slingshot. And besides, I know what I am doing. I have had training to do this. I've learned from the best." Lara said with sadness in her voice remember how she had to leave him behind to save herself. Guilt started to flood back into her mind. But she pushed it away. There was no time for guilt or sorrow.

"To do what?"

Lara didn't answer.

"TO DO WHAT LARA! What is it you do?" He said grabbing her arm and gripping hard.

"Tomb Raider." For the first time she stopped and looked at him

"Is this what you have been hiding from me?"

"Yes."

"Why? I thought you trusted me."

"Jack I couldn't tell you, Von Croy he said it was to dangerous for you to know."

"Von Croy?"

"The man who trained me to be what I am."

"Lara I'm sorry I didn't know."

Lara turned and started to walk.

"Lara if I know I would have trusted you. But you know I would have still followed you."

"I'm not upset about you breaking up with me. And that's why I didn't want you to know. I couldn't risk you following me and you getting hurt, and what if I didn't know you were there. What if you got behind and couldn't find me. You'd be dead, you'd die with out the proper training."

"Then train me.

"Jack, I can't do that."

"Why not Lara?"

"Jack I can't have you with me. I do better on my own. And you following me all the time it's just going to slow me down. Just like you are now with all this talking."

"I only followed you and wanted to come so that I would know you were ok."

"Jack I don't need you checking on me I have had training. I know what I have to do."

"Ok then if you know what to do then how do we get out?"

"I don't know ok. It doesn't work that way."

Jack followed her and said nothing further.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"Ok Lara we have been here for an hour." Jack said looking at his watch.

"Yes I know. But I don't know where to go." Lara saw another little small crawl space in the wall a few feet from where she was standing. "Uhh..."

"What?"

"I don't know how I missed this. It was well hidden." Lara started to crawl with Jack following behind her.

Lara and Jack walked up to the bell tower to see it was closed off.

Lara looked for a rock on the ground.

"What are you doing?"

"You'll see."

Lara assembles her slingshot and uses it to shoot the block anchoring the chain attached to the bells. The bells begin to ring, then crash to the ground. Jack pushes Lara out of the way of the falling debris. He lands on top of her he pulled back and looks in her eyes.

After a few seconds Lara pushed him off of her. "Get off of me."

They began to walk into the bell tower and into a hole in the ground and into a tunnel they walked though the tunnel to climb out the other side.

"Ok so where do we go now?"

"We find the tree roots and we'll find his heart."

"I still don't understand why you're helping him."

"I don't know either but I just believe I have to."

"What do you mean?"

"If I help him maybe he'll lead me to the exit. And then we can go home."

They continue walking until they came to a hole.

"The tree roots are down here."

"How do you know?"

"I just do now come on."

They start walking when Lara stops in front of four gray tiles that looked oddly strange. She decides not to walk around them. She grabs a near by torch. She stops to see Jack still standing on the other side of the gray tiles.

"Lara why didn't you just go this way?" He started to walk to her.

"JACK STOP!"

"What? WOOOH!" The tiles start to break and Jack falls luckily grabbing the ledge.

"That's why I didn't walk on them."

"Well are you going to help me up? I'm not comfortable hanging over a spiked pit."

"Well I don't know if I leave you there I wont have to listen to your talking." She started to walk away.

"LARA WAIT! Ok, ok, ok I wont talk any more I promise just get ME OUT!" he shouted as he started to slip.

"Well you got your self in this mess."

"Oh come on Lara we have been friends since we were kids. I know you, and I know you wouldn't let even your worst enemy die."

"Fine!" Lara helped him out of the pit he landed on top of her again. "GET OFF ME!"

They got up and continued to walk until they found the roots of the tree.

"This is it? Where is the heart?"

"They have hidden my petrified heart in this, the World Tree." Lara quoted what the hanged man had said just a few moments ago.

"Umm…" Jack said confused.

Lara burned the roots with the torch. They watched as it burned and the heart fell out.

"Eww disgusting. You're going pick that up?"

"Yeah I have to." Lara took a cloth out of her bag and put the heart in it and put it in the bag.

After picking up the heart Lara and Jack turn as they heard a door opening. They peek into the next room. Father Patrick was standing over an open pit, from which unearthly hissing and groaning can be heard. They voice is loud and the scariest thing Lara had ever heard.

"Go back to your slumberings. This is but a child, and she shall not cross your path for as you shall not cross hers." The Priest leaned over the pit and spoke in a soft calm tone.

"Come closer for often it is easier to be brave from a distance.

"I am here now, and I have a gift for you, you cantankerous worm."

He throws something into the pit.

"Arrgh! Curse you, priest! If you live till dooms day you shall burn a week longer than the world! I swear!"

"Iron. Never found a demon yet that doesn't burn at its touch."

"What was in the hole?"

"In the…never mind that. What on earth are you doing here? No, don't bother. We'll get on to that later. Right now we need to get you out to somewhere safe until the morning. That's assuming you'll stay in once place, young lady.

"Nothing with demons, right?"

"Well, I can't promise anything in this God-forsaken place. I'll light the way and go on ahead to clear out any unwelcome guests. Now once you're out, head to the chapel over the bridge. I'll meet you there. I'm forgetting me manners. Don't speak to strange things, and if there's anything around—and trusting me skills in this area there shouldn't be—iron, girl. Use iron to repel 'em. See you on top. Keep your wits about you."

After giving Lara this advice, Father Patrick leaves the area.

"Wow ok." Jack noticed Lara was watching down the hole. "Lara you ok?"

"Yeah."

"Cause you look kind of pale."

"No I'm ok really."

"Ok."

Lara followed Jack to the hole they came into.

"Lara are you sure your ok?"

"Yeah why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know you looked pale when we ran into the first demon. And when you heard that demon in the hole...you were pale."

"This place just gives me the creeps." She paused as she and Jack climbed out of the tunnel. "Don't worry about me I'm fine."

They started walking when Lara saw a door to her right. By the door was a hole and knew this must be were the heart belonged. After sticking the heart inside the little hole, eerie laughter echoes through the area as the door slide open. Changelings emerge from the crypts along the hillside and come up the path toward Lara and Jack.

"OH CRAP! What do we do now?"

"I don't know."

'Iron, girl, Use iron to repel 'em.' Lara remembered what the priest had said.

"Iron."

"I don't have Iron."

Lara tries to slide back the stone blocking the exit, but the changelings overpower her. They disappear maybe dispelled by her metal belt buckle.

"We have to find iron."

"Where?"

"I don't know just go find some thing." Lara wonders back to the bell tower hoping to find some thing there. Lara notices some thing on the ground and picks it up. When she realizes what it is she runs back to find Jack.

"Found it."

Once again Lara tries to slide back the stone blocking the exit. The changelings enter the room once again trying to stop them. Lara throws the iron clapper to repel them. They begin to back away.

"Wow."

"Can't you ever say any thing else then WOW!" Lara asked punching him.

"OWW! That hurt and that was not a playful punch."

"Really! You think!"

Pushing back the exit Jack and Lara climb down and head toward the Chapel.

"Ok we're here. How bout we just stay here."

"No."

"What?"

"I cant just stay here." Lara walks to an iron gate.

A skeleton in dark robes appears. It passes Lara and goes through the wrought iron gate, turns the jeweled newel on the back of the pew in the side chapel, then disappears through the wall.

"What was that?"

Lara said nothing she walked to the front of the chapel. She found the three carved square tiles at the front of the chapel. She examined them and began to push them in.

"What are you doing?"

"I think these might open that gate back there. But I don't know in what order to push them."

"How do you even know you have to push them."

Lara turned and looked at him. "I…"

"You know what your doing…right ok." Jack said cutting her off. He just walked to the Iron Gate.

Lara tried for the last half hour trying to figure it out.

"Lara I don't think they open the gate cause it hasn't opened yet."

"I just haven't pushed them in the right order yet."

"Lara maybe those are just there just cause."

"I know what I'm doing Jack."

"Of course you do..." He said as he sat down and just watched Lara work.

"What was that? A sarcastic comment?"

"Lara can we just wait for Father Patrick?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Some thing is wrong it's been a half hour he should have been here by now."

"How do you know?"

"We can't just sit here, we have to do some thing. We have to go find him."

"How do you know he isn't dealing with more demons and just running late?"

"I just know Jack ok."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter four**

Lara had tried all the compensation of the tiles she could think of till she finally got it. The pews move aside making Jack jump up and the wrought iron gate to the side chapel opens. Lara started to walk to the back of the chapel and realized there were 5 phantom skeletons standing around trying to hurt her.

"That was a smart move."

"What?"

"You…. Never mind." Lara twists off the newel and removes the bone dust from inside.

"What are you doing now?"

"JACK!"

"What?"

"If you want to know what I am doing your going to have to wait and see. I know what I am doing and I don't have the time to sit and explain it to you. You need to learn to stop asking me questions every five minutes."

"OK I was just asking."

"Well don't just ask. I helped you out of the pit in exchange that you not talk to me any more."

"Fine you don't want me to talk then I wont." He pretended to zip his lips and leaned against the wall. He just watched her do what she needed to do.

Lara approached the front of the chapel on the left and used the bone dust in a pot in the corner. A flame flared up in the container they heard the phantom skeletons scream and then are disappear.

"Awesome."

"You think every thing is cool don't you."

"Lara I'm just messing around."

"Jack you can't just mess around when you are a tomb raider. When you do you could get yourself killed."

Jack just looked at her and let out a annoyed breath.

"I thought you said you were not going to talk?"

Jack said nothing he just looked down at the ground and ignored her.

"Come on we have to get out of here and find Father Patrick."

They came to a hole and saw there was water at the bottom. Lara jumped down with Jack following after her. They climbed out and saw the robed ghost once again.

"Ok those things are starting to annoy me." Jack said before following behind Lara.

In the next room they came too they both noticed there were three small blue floating lights.

"Ok what else are we going to run into?" Jack said as he and Lara started to follow the lights. The lights let them to what looked like a small maze.

Lara heard a growl that sounded like a wolf. She turned and saw a werewolf coming up behind them.

"Holy crap."

"What do we do now?" Jack started to back up.

"Run!" Lara grabbed Jack's hand and they began to run jumping over the holes in the ground.

Jack tried to look back but he almost fell in the hole. He grabbed the edge. "Lara!"

"Jack. Come on we have to get out of here." Lara pulled him out of the hole as the monster came closer and closer.

When Lara pulled Jack out once again fell on her.

"Why are you always on top of me?"

"You like it and you know it." He joked as they both stood up.

The monster came running closer.

"Run, Come on Jack. We have to go, don't look back this time."

They continued to run for what seemed like an eternity. The small blue lights continued to lead the way out of the maze. Lara started to get tired and felt like she was going to fall over.

"Lara come on, don't give up on me now."

"Jack I can not go any farther. Go with out me."

"And leave you here to be eaten by that thing? No I don't thing so. You coming with me even if I have to carry you." Jack picked her up and gave her a piggyback ride the rest of the way.

Jack and Lara continued to run away from the monster as it seemed to be getting closer and closer.

"I don't think those lights know where their going."

"Well we can't go back."

"How about we drop into one of the holes."

"No I don't think that will lead any where."

Lara and Jack finally came to the end and slide down a ramp.

"Oh great."

"What?"

"Look we were just over there." Jack pointed to a gate behind it was the hole where they jumped into the pool.

Lara sat against the wall she seemed distant.

"Lara?"

She seemed to be paler now then she did earlier.

"Lara sweetie are you ok?"

"NO!" Lara let out a long hard breath.

Jack held her in his arms. "I want to go home. I hate this place, I can't stand dealing with these demons any more." He paused to push her back and looked into her eyes. "Lara...Are you scared?"

"Of course not I'm just tired." She pushed him back causing him to fall on his ass.

"Come on the sooner we find away out, the sooner we'll be home. Safe and sound."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Lara and Jack examine an open coffin that seems to be lead to another room. They cautiously steps through it and slip and stumbles down the ramp. After struggling to their feet Lara turns to see Father Patrick standing nearby holding a flaming torch.

"Good Lord, girl. It's me. I've enough on me plate without you making me jump out of me skin, Lara."

"Your hair..."

"What about me hair?"

"It's... white!"

"Hmm…Aye. That'd be right. Some unpleasant fellows from down below detained me. Gave me quite a fright." He laughs. "That's why I wasn't at the chapel, but I can see you've kept yourself busy. Anyways, let's get you out of here, and back to safety."

He motions for Lara and Jack to go ahead of him and they exit together.

Lara, Jack and Father Patrick emerge from the Labyrinth onto a rainy hillside.

"Right, young lady, I'm going to have a quick look around now for a safe place to put you. Now you stay put, or you'll be banging into something that'll make your hair turn white. And we wouldn't be wanting that now, would we?"

"Father, I found a book in the labyrinth."

"You've been sight-seeing in there as well? Good Lord almighty, girl! I'll be needin' to chain ye to something."

"It has protective symbols. Maybe you can use them."

"Bless you for the thought, but I've enough protection from Him above. And for that diagram to be any good you'd have to draw it out and be sittin' in the middle of it. And you know something, I've left all me coloring pens at home tonight. Now, you'll be doing me a big favor if you were to stay put before you bang into something bigger than you."

"Stay put. Right!"

Lara watched Father Patrick walk away.

"Ok no how bout we just stay here." Jack said leaning against a wall.

"No." Lara said folding her arms.

"Lara you've got to be kidding me."

"No I'm not I cant just stay put."

"But look at what happened at the chapel."

"If we had of stayed there we'd be there forever."

"How do you know that? Maybe he was just about to come for us before we scared him half to death."

"I doubt that."

"Lara you are starting to get on my last nerve."

"If you want to stay here then stay here. But I'm not going to just stand around."

"Lara what if you run into something bigger then you…and you cant get away."

"That's not going to happen."

"How do you know?"

Lara said nothing and just walked past a brown stone on the ground. She didn't know what was about to happen. She hears what sounds like a horse. She looks up and sees a demon horseman appears on the hillside. Lara stands frozen as she watches him come riding closer to try and cut Lara down, then dismounts, grabs her and throws her back to the other end of the path. The he rides off back up the hillside.

"Lara!" Jack ran to her side.

"I'm fine really." Lara straggles to get back to her feet. Still trembling of what just happened. She was normally brave but that just scared the day lights out of her. All she wanted was to go home. She was sick of having to deal with all these demons.

"See what I'm talking about. We should just stay here." Jack helped her off the ground. She just pushed him away.

"No."

"Lara, That demon isn't just going to just let you pass." He pointed to the hillside where the demon had come from.

"No he wont but we can go though this tunnel." Lara pointed to a tunnel just a few feet from where they were standing. She started to walk but Jack grabbed her arm stopping her.

"We? No there is no "we" in this its just you." Jack let go of her arm and backed away.

"Fine then you can stay here if you want. I don't care, but I'm going." Lara started to walk down the tunnel.

When she was out of sight Jack waited a few seconds before going after her. The one thing he always hated about her was she was stubborn. She was hardheaded about every thing. She never listened to him when he spoke. He just wanted to smack sense into her.

'She almost got herself killed a few times. Why dose she want to go and get her self hurt. Or worse killed.' Jack thought to him self. "I don't want to lose her like this. Even if she dose know what she's doing." He said out loud

"Lara…Lara wait." Jack ran after Lara but she was nowhere. "Lara?"

"I'm right here." Lara came walking around a corner.

"Oh."

"Scaredy cat couldn't stay by yourself." Lara joked.

"Oh shut up."

Lara walked to a ledge to see changelings below on another ledge.

"Oh no these guys again."

They looked up and noticed Lara and Jack standing there and started to throw rocks at them.

"OW!" Lara pushed Jack into the safety of the cave.

"What do now?"

"I don't know, find fire that might help."

"How?"

"Maybe it'll scare them off."

"Well were do we find fire?"

"I saw a torch over here some where." Lara walked thought the tunnel to find a torch. "Found it." Walking bout out on to the ledge Lara threw the torch down on the ledge below near the little changelings. They watched the torch fall and when it rolled near them they stared at it for a few seconds then started running in a small circle freaking out.

"Ok what now?"

Lara looked up at the rope hanging she ran and jumped in it.

"Lara."

"What?"

"Don't look down."

"Yeah I'll keep that in mind." Lara turned and started to swing to a small opening in a wall. She let go of the rope to grab the opening. Jack closed his eyes knowing she wouldn't make it. When he opened his eyes she was gone.

"Lara?" He looked down thinking she'd fallen but he didn't see her. When he looked to the hole in the cave wall she was coming out with some thing in her hand. Lara swung on the rope and landed back to the ledge where Jack was standing. "You know you scared me half to death."

"Sorry."

"What's that?"

"Chalk."

"For what? You plan on playing hop scotch?"

"Yeah that's what I'm planning on doing." Lara said sarcastically.

Walking to the back out side the cave where the demon threw her on the ground. Lara stood on the dark brown square in the middle of the path and use the chalk to do some sketching. Lara sketched an arcane symbols upon the tile. The demon horseman charges out of the woods and down the path, but the symbols appear to stop him.

"Lara!" Jack yelled.

Lara stood and backed away form the horseman.

Again he tries to slice Lara with his sword, but Father Patrick comes to the rescue, shoving her aside just in time.

The demon knight grabs the good Father and bonks him in the head with his pommel of his sword, flings him over the horse's back and rides away. Lara and Jack run after the horseman.

When Lara and Jack finally spot a barn they slowly approach it. The demon knight bursts out of the barn on horseback, still carrying Father Patrick.

"Who is this that stands before me? The first to visit me in my prison seven hundred years past."

"Seven hundred years, all alone in a barn? Huh, those winter nights must have just flown by."

"Silence, ignorant heretic, or I behead you!"

The horseman then shoves the priest off the horse. He lands on the ground in a heap.

"Leave him be!"

"For the child has spirit, but what is that? When this island is littered with the bones of holy men. My gift to them for their spirit in obstructing me from claiming my rightful inheritance."

"And this inheritance, I would wonder, would be some way to explain why your walking and breathing when you should be gone long past?"

"The inheritance is the gift of eternal life. Contained within an ancient scroll. Concealed by the dullard Abbot and his cohorts, the scroll which draws forth pale demon blood through my veins. I am no longer man. I am one for the earth and one for above the gaping abyss of Hades."

"So why stay on the island? Came for a holiday and fell in love with the scenery?"

"Hold your yapping tongue for want I clip it! Boils and plagues plaster over this island and its treacherous inhabitants! For it was they, and their ox little abbot, who plotted to incarcerate me in this dungeon hall for an eternity. I, Vladimir Kaleta, who worshipped in the first Kremlin, who butchered the Swede and the Lefsky on the banks of the River Neva. Incarcerated within this prison of flowing water!"

"Running water… You're trapped here by running water!" Lara said.

"Demons cannot cross running water."

"Indeed. The abbot's final trick before I was transformed." He then turned to Lara. "And you shall find a way to shore up this stream or your holy man shall be opened up and gutted like live stock."

The demon then hauls Father Patrick back onto the horse, mounts and rides back into the barn. The doors slam shut behind them.

"Holy…Ok this just keeps getting weirder." Jack said frozen in the spot he was standing in.

"Yeah it dose, come on we have to save Father."

"Well what do we have to do?"

"Shut off the water."

"How?"

"I really don't know there has to be something here that turns it off. We just have to find it."

"Ok so where should we go first?"

Lara said nothing she just started walking. She came to a waterwheel.

"So the thing we need to use to turn off the water is in there."

"Yeah I guess so, boy you're so smart."

"Lara I didn't follow you just to hear you be a smart ass to me."

Lara stopped, "Why did you follow me? And do say it was to make sure I was ok. Cause I hardly believe after what you put me though…you could give a damn about me."

"Lara I still love you. I never stopped, and I don't know why you would think I don't care for you. Cause I do, I know what I did was wrong. I know that now and I am very sorry for that. I really am, I do care for that's why I came, why I followed you."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

After de-activating the waterwheel, Lara and Jack emerge from the small mill. The demon horseman again bursts out of the barn. He raises his arms and shouts out his triumph. As he speaks, he lifts Father Patrick from the horse.

"Your child has done her job well, and I taste freedom for the first time in an eon. You will now fear me? For you have served your purpose well holy man, and for this should I exercise mercy as a god might?"

"Now that'd be nice, but I'm not holdin' me breath."

"Yes, I shall spare and secure for you a fate worse than death! For when you pass beyond this world, Heaven shall no longer welcome you, for you have released a demon."

"My faith will protect me from feckless lesser demons as yourself."

Enraged, the horseman head-butts Father Patrick and then flings him to the ground.

"Father!"

"Ah! The child. I shall snuff out her life as a candle."

"The book from the library…" Lara backs away as the demon advances toward her.

"The names… read out the names."

Lara takes the Bestiary from her backpack, opens it and begins to read. The horseman continues to advance.

"Askeroth. Aqueil. Arrancula. Belial. Bucom. Boliath. . . . Help me!"

"Keep reading, girl, you're almost there."

"Camos. . . Masteflou. . . ."

The horseman raises his sword to take a swing at Lara, but Father Patrick lunges at the horseman from behind. He tries to tackle the horseman, but the demon breaks away and flings him aside. Just as the horseman is about to strike Lara down, she hits on the correct name.

"Verdilet!"

The horseman is paralyzed. "How is this? I move to strike and yet cannot!"

"You've done well, girl, and before you ask, I'll tell ye. The book you've got, I myself was looking for it, but as I couldn't find it, assumed you had it, and lucky ye did!"

"But how…?"

"If you name a demon, you have power over it, and you named him! It's your shout, Lara."

"For this you shall burn for eternity! I shall drown you in a mire of your own entrails before I squeeze…"

"Be quiet!"

"What ye reckon we get out of this God-forsaken place and go and get a nice cup of tea with Winston? Almost forgot, would you be wantin' to wave goodbye to our little friend?"

"Back to where you belong!"

The demon vanishes. Father Patrick puts an arm around Lara and they leave together.

Father Patrick, Lara and Jack sail home.

"And you'll have learned a few valuable lesions from that, I be thinkin'."

"You'd be thinking right, Father."

"I have to…never follow Lara on an adventure again."

"Now see why I didn't want to tell you what I do?"

"Yeah but I still don't like that you lied to me."

"Jack please, don't start this again."

"Don't start what?"

"You hurt me worse then I hurt you."

"Oh come on." He paused waiting for her to answer. "Lara…"

"Don't Lara me."

"I thought we got passed this?"

"Well I guess we haven't, when we get home I never want to talk to you again." Lara walked to another part of the boat.

"She's crazy." Jack sat down and leaned his head against the side of the boat.

"Ahh young love." Father Patrick said with a laugh.

**THE END**

Chapter Two

As Lara and Jack enter the Gallows Tree area she is startled by the ring of a church bell from the tower behind her. This place was just getting creepier by the minute. As she slowly approached the tree, there is a flash of light that made her and Jack turn away. They saw a rotting corpse had appeared hanging from one of the branches.

Lara jumps back a bit when she sees what is hanging from the tree. 'What I'm dealing with demons now.' She thought.

The man spoke in a deep voice almost like a smokers voice "Come child's. Come closer for I have gifts for thee."

"I'll stay where I am."

He began to laugh before he spoke again. "Fear not this visage. For it is but a vessel for my troubled spirit…Come closer for you are safe while I am hung like so much butchered meat."

"Who…are…you?"

"Who? Hmmm… For it is more like what. Condemned to wander between the kingdoms of man and that of the elementals. Hmmm…But I must be swift in my request. Hissss…for they watch and wait to once more draw me back into the darkness!"

"Request?" Lara said in a curious tone but Jack could hear that she was a little scared.

"My heart, girl! They have hidden my petrified heart in this, the World Tree. Down under the watchful gaze of the dragon, Nidhogg. Hmm… Find this, my child's, and return it to its rightful resting place. Hiss…and you shall be rewarded!"

"And why on earth should I trust…you?"

"Not on earth, girl, In between. My soul is gone and how it fares nobody knows and nobody cares."

With a choking laugh and another flash of light, the corpse disappears.

"What the bloody hell was that?"

"A dead corpse what did it look like?"

"What…Lara."

"What?" She just looked at him. "It was a demon."

"Ok we are dealing with demons? You're not really thinking about finding his heart."

"Well…Yeah."

"Lara if he is a demon you shouldn't give a bloody rat's ass"

"Well what else am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know but you don't help a demon."

Lara walked over to the tree they both heard and saw a barrel falling over. A channeling came running out and after Lara.

"Get that thing away from me!"

Jack kicked it and it fell into the fire near by.

Lara just laughed and walked away.

"What? Why are you laughing at me?"

"Nothing just funny that you're scared of a little thing like that. And I never knew you screamed like a little girl." Lara started to walk to find a way out.

"Hey I didn't scream like a little girl."

"Sure ok."

"Ok so how do we get out of here?"

"I don't know. I'm looking."

"Well hurry up I want to go home. I am just getting a really bad vibe from this place."

"If you don't like this place why did you follow me?"

"Well…I didn't know what I was getting myself into."

"Yeah. You never do, do you?"

"I can see it was a BIG mistake coming here."

"You got that right. Why did you follow me?"

Jack stood there not saying a word.

"Why couldn't you just trust me?"

"Trust You?"

"Yeah."

"Trust you?"

"YES!"

"Lara how can I trust some one when they keep something from me?"

Lara said nothing.

"For all I knew you could have been cheating on me."

"CHEATING!"

"Yeah."

"Jack I never cheated you know I would never..."

Jack rolled his eyes and turned away.

"Look at me! I kept this from you because it was to dangerous for you to know what I do."

"What is it you do Lara?"

Lara said nothing just continued looking for away out.

"Lara I asked you a question and I want an answer."

"Not right now. You said you want to go home so I'm try to look for away out of here."

"You always do this."

"DO what?"

"Avoid the questions you don't want to answer."

"I'm not avoiding the question."

"Oh really is that right."

"Yes."

"Find Ms. Croft if you're not avoiding the question. Then answer it."

"I hate when you call me Ms. Croft."

"HA! Avoiding..."

"SHUT UP! Jack I don't want to deal with this right now."

Lara noticed a crawl space and started to go though it. When she came out the other side she noticed a house. It looked very dark inside, looked as if no one had lived there in years. There was only a haystack and a cabinet every thing else seemed to be gone.

"No one seems to be home." Jack said peeking in the window to see nothing.

"Perfect lets go."

"Wait your going to go in there?" Jack grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Yeah maybe I will find some thing to get us out."

"But Lara you can just go into some one else's home with out asking."

"Well their not home and you want to get out of here. Unless you want to stay here and deal with more demons." Lara said with a sarcastic smile.

"Lets go." Jack pushed pass Lara and opened the door to the house before her. "What are we looking for?"

"I don't know some thing that will help us find our way out."

"Well there isn't much here these people must have moved."

"Probably couldn't handle the demons."

"Yeah." Jack saw some thing on the floor and picked it up. "Oh lookie."

"Oh Lookie? You sound like a two year old."

Jack ignored her smart comment. "A sling shot." He held it up and showed it to her.

Lara took it from his hands slipped it in her backpack and walked out.

"Hey you know I found that first."

"Jack, It dose not matter who found it I'm the one with the backpack. And I don't expect you to do climbing while you're holding a slingshot. And besides, I know what I am doing. I have had training to do this. I've learned from the best." Lara said with sadness in her voice remember how she had to leave him behind to save herself. Guilt started to flood back into her mind. But she pushed it away. There was no time for guilt or sorrow.

"To do what?"

Lara didn't answer.

"TO DO WHAT LARA! What is it you do?" He said grabbing her arm and gripping hard.

"Tomb Raider." For the first time she stopped and looked at him

"Is this what you have been hiding from me?"

"Yes."

"Why? I thought you trusted me."

"Jack I couldn't tell you, Von Croy he said it was to dangerous for you to know."

"Von Croy?"

"The man who trained me to be what I am."

"Lara I'm sorry I didn't know."

Lara turned and started to walk.

"Lara if I know I would have trusted you. But you know I would have still followed you."

"I'm not upset about you breaking up with me. And that's why I didn't want you to know. I couldn't risk you following me and you getting hurt, and what if I didn't know you were there. What if you got behind and couldn't find me. You'd be dead, you'd die with out the proper training."

"Then train me.

"Jack, I can't do that."

"Why not Lara?"

"Jack I can't have you with me. I do better on my own. And you following me all the time it's just going to slow me down. Just like you are now with all this talking."

"I only followed you and wanted to come so that I would know you were ok."

"Jack I don't need you checking on me I have had training. I know what I have to do."

"Ok then if you know what to do then how do we get out?"

"I don't know ok. It doesn't work that way."

Jack followed her and said nothing further.

Chapter Three

"Ok Lara we have been here for an hour." Jack said looking at his watch.

"Yes I know. But I don't know where to go." Lara saw another little small crawl space in the wall a few feet from where she was standing. "Uhh..."

"What?"

"I don't know how I missed this. It was well hidden." Lara started to crawl with Jack following behind her.

Lara and Jack walked up to the bell tower to see it was closed off.

Lara looked for a rock on the ground.

"What are you doing?"

"You'll see."

Lara assembles her slingshot and uses it to shoot the block anchoring the chain attached to the bells. The bells begin to ring, then crash to the ground. Jack pushes Lara out of the way of the falling debris. He lands on top of her he pulled back and looks in her eyes.

After a few seconds Lara pushed him off of her. "Get off of me."

They began to walk into the bell tower and into a hole in the ground and into a tunnel they walked though the tunnel to climb out the other side.

"Ok so where do we go now?"

"We find the tree roots and we'll find his heart."

"I still don't understand why you're helping him."

"I don't know either but I just believe I have to."

"What do you mean?"

"If I help him maybe he'll lead me to the exit. And then we can go home."

They continue walking until they came to a hole.

"The tree roots are down here."

"How do you know?"

"I just do now come on."

They start walking when Lara stops in front of four gray tiles that looked oddly strange. She decides not to walk around them. She grabs a near by torch. She stops to see Jack still standing on the other side of the gray tiles.

"Lara why didn't you just go this way?" He started to walk to her.

"JACK STOP!"

"What? WOOOH!" The tiles start to break and Jack falls luckily grabbing the ledge.

"That's why I didn't walk on them."

"Well are you going to help me up? I'm not comfortable hanging over a spiked pit."

"Well I don't know if I leave you there I wont have to listen to your talking." She started to walk away.

"LARA WAIT! Ok, ok, ok I wont talk any more I promise just get ME OUT!" he shouted as he started to slip.

"Well you got your self in this mess."

"Oh come on Lara we have been friends since we were kids. I know you, and I know you wouldn't let even your worst enemy die."

"Fine!" Lara helped him out of the pit he landed on top of her again. "GET OFF ME!"

They got up and continued to walk until they found the roots of the tree.

"This is it? Where is the heart?"

"They have hidden my petrified heart in this, the World Tree." Lara quoted what the hanged man had said just a few moments ago.

"Umm…" Jack said confused.

Lara burned the roots with the torch. They watched as it burned and the heart fell out.

"Eww disgusting. You're going pick that up?"

"Yeah I have to." Lara took a cloth out of her bag and put the heart in it and put it in the bag.

After picking up the heart Lara and Jack turn as they heard a door opening. They peek into the next room. Father Patrick was standing over an open pit, from which unearthly hissing and groaning can be heard. They voice is loud and the scariest thing Lara had ever heard.

"Go back to your slumberings. This is but a child, and she shall not cross your path for as you shall not cross hers." The Priest leaned over the pit and spoke in a soft calm tone.

"Come closer for often it is easier to be brave from a distance.

"I am here now, and I have a gift for you, you cantankerous worm."

He throws something into the pit.

"Arrgh! Curse you, priest! If you live till dooms day you shall burn a week longer than the world! I swear!"

"Iron. Never found a demon yet that doesn't burn at its touch."

"What was in the hole?"

"In the…never mind that. What on earth are you doing here? No, don't bother. We'll get on to that later. Right now we need to get you out to somewhere safe until the morning. That's assuming you'll stay in once place, young lady.

"Nothing with demons, right?"

"Well, I can't promise anything in this God-forsaken place. I'll light the way and go on ahead to clear out any unwelcome guests. Now once you're out, head to the chapel over the bridge. I'll meet you there. I'm forgetting me manners. Don't speak to strange things, and if there's anything around—and trusting me skills in this area there shouldn't be—iron, girl. Use iron to repel 'em. See you on top. Keep your wits about you."

After giving Lara this advice, Father Patrick leaves the area.

"Wow ok." Jack noticed Lara was watching down the hole. "Lara you ok?"

"Yeah."

"Cause you look kind of pale."

"No I'm ok really."

"Ok."

Lara followed Jack to the hole they came into.

"Lara are you sure your ok?"

"Yeah why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know you looked pale when we ran into the first demon. And when you heard that demon in the hole...you were pale."

"This place just gives me the creeps." She paused as she and Jack climbed out of the tunnel. "Don't worry about me I'm fine."

They started walking when Lara saw a door to her right. By the door was a hole and knew this must be were the heart belonged. After sticking the heart inside the little hole, eerie laughter echoes through the area as the door slide open. Changelings emerge from the crypts along the hillside and come up the path toward Lara and Jack.

"OH CRAP! What do we do now?"

"I don't know."

'Iron, girl, Use iron to repel 'em.' Lara remembered what the priest had said.

"Iron."

"I don't have Iron."

Lara tries to slide back the stone blocking the exit, but the changelings overpower her. They disappear maybe dispelled by her metal belt buckle.

"We have to find iron."

"Where?"

"I don't know just go find some thing." Lara wonders back to the bell tower hoping to find some thing there. Lara notices some thing on the ground and picks it up. When she realizes what it is she runs back to find Jack.

"Found it."

Once again Lara tries to slide back the stone blocking the exit. The changelings enter the room once again trying to stop them. Lara throws the iron clapper to repel them. They begin to back away.

"Wow."

"Can't you ever say any thing else then WOW!" Lara asked punching him.

"OWW! That hurt and that was not a playful punch."

"Really! You think!"

Pushing back the exit Jack and Lara climb down and head toward the Chapel.

"Ok we're here. How bout we just stay here."

"No."

"What?"

"I cant just stay here." Lara walks to an iron gate.

A skeleton in dark robes appears. It passes Lara and goes through the wrought iron gate, turns the jeweled newel on the back of the pew in the side chapel, then disappears through the wall.

"What was that?"

Lara said nothing she walked to the front of the chapel. She found the three carved square tiles at the front of the chapel. She examined them and began to push them in.

"What are you doing?"

"I think these might open that gate back there. But I don't know in what order to push them."

"How do you even know you have to push them."

Lara turned and looked at him. "I…"

"You know what your doing…right ok." Jack said cutting her off. He just walked to the Iron Gate.

Lara tried for the last half hour trying to figure it out.

"Lara I don't think they open the gate cause it hasn't opened yet."

"I just haven't pushed them in the right order yet."

"Lara maybe those are just there just cause."

"I know what I'm doing Jack."

"Of course you do..." He said as he sat down and just watched Lara work.

"What was that? A sarcastic comment?"

"Lara can we just wait for Father Patrick?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Some thing is wrong it's been a half hour he should have been here by now."

"How do you know?"

"We can't just sit here, we have to do some thing. We have to go find him."

"How do you know he isn't dealing with more demons and just running late?"

"I just know Jack ok."

Chapter four

Lara had tried all the compensation of the tiles she could think of till she finally got it. The pews move aside making Jack jump up and the wrought iron gate to the side chapel opens. Lara started to walk to the back of the chapel and realized there were 5 phantom skeletons standing around trying to hurt her.

"That was a smart move."

"What?"

"You…. Never mind." Lara twists off the newel and removes the bone dust from inside.

"What are you doing now?"

"JACK!"

"What?"

"If you want to know what I am doing your going to have to wait and see. I know what I am doing and I don't have the time to sit and explain it to you. You need to learn to stop asking me questions every five minutes."

"OK I was just asking."

"Well don't just ask. I helped you out of the pit in exchange that you not talk to me any more."

"Fine you don't want me to talk then I wont." He pretended to zip his lips and leaned against the wall. He just watched her do what she needed to do.

Lara approached the front of the chapel on the left and used the bone dust in a pot in the corner. A flame flared up in the container they heard the phantom skeletons scream and then are disappear.

"Awesome."

"You think every thing is cool don't you."

"Lara I'm just messing around."

"Jack you can't just mess around when you are a tomb raider. When you do you could get yourself killed."

Jack just looked at her and let out a annoyed breath.

"I thought you said you were not going to talk?"

Jack said nothing he just looked down at the ground and ignored her.

"Come on we have to get out of here and find Father Patrick."

They came to a hole and saw there was water at the bottom. Lara jumped down with Jack following after her. They climbed out and saw the robed ghost once again.

"Ok those things are starting to annoy me." Jack said before following behind Lara.

In the next room they came too they both noticed there were three small blue floating lights.

"Ok what else are we going to run into?" Jack said as he and Lara started to follow the lights. The lights let them to what looked like a small maze.

Lara heard a growl that sounded like a wolf. She turned and saw a werewolf coming up behind them.

"Holy crap."

"What do we do now?" Jack started to back up.

"Run!" Lara grabbed Jack's hand and they began to run jumping over the holes in the ground.

Jack tried to look back but he almost fell in the hole. He grabbed the edge. "Lara!"

"Jack. Come on we have to get out of here." Lara pulled him out of the hole as the monster came closer and closer.

When Lara pulled Jack out once again fell on her.

"Why are you always on top of me?"

"You like it and you know it." He joked as they both stood up.

The monster came running closer.

"Run, Come on Jack. We have to go, don't look back this time."

They continued to run for what seemed like an eternity. The small blue lights continued to lead the way out of the maze. Lara started to get tired and felt like she was going to fall over.

"Lara come on, don't give up on me now."

"Jack I can not go any farther. Go with out me."

"And leave you here to be eaten by that thing? No I don't thing so. You coming with me even if I have to carry you." Jack picked her up and gave her a piggyback ride the rest of the way.

Jack and Lara continued to run away from the monster as it seemed to be getting closer and closer.

"I don't think those lights know where their going."

"Well we can't go back."

"How about we drop into one of the holes."

"No I don't think that will lead any where."

Lara and Jack finally came to the end and slide down a ramp.

"Oh great."

"What?"

"Look we were just over there." Jack pointed to a gate behind it was the hole where they jumped into the pool.

Lara sat against the wall she seemed distant.

"Lara?"

She seemed to be paler now then she did earlier.

"Lara sweetie are you ok?"

"NO!" Lara let out a long hard breath.

Jack held her in his arms. "I want to go home. I hate this place, I can't stand dealing with these demons any more." He paused to push her back and looked into her eyes. "Lara...Are you scared?"

"Of course not I'm just tired." She pushed him back causing him to fall on his ass.

"Come on the sooner we find away out, the sooner we'll be home. Safe and sound."

Chapter Five

Lara and Jack examine an open coffin that seems to be lead to another room. They cautiously steps through it and slip and stumbles down the ramp. After struggling to their feet Lara turns to see Father Patrick standing nearby holding a flaming torch.

"Good Lord, girl. It's me. I've enough on me plate without you making me jump out of me skin, Lara."

"Your hair..."

"What about me hair?"

"It's... white!"

"Hmm…Aye. That'd be right. Some unpleasant fellows from down below detained me. Gave me quite a fright." He laughs. "That's why I wasn't at the chapel, but I can see you've kept yourself busy. Anyways, let's get you out of here, and back to safety."

He motions for Lara and Jack to go ahead of him and they exit together.

Lara, Jack and Father Patrick emerge from the Labyrinth onto a rainy hillside.

"Right, young lady, I'm going to have a quick look around now for a safe place to put you. Now you stay put, or you'll be banging into something that'll make your hair turn white. And we wouldn't be wanting that now, would we?"

"Father, I found a book in the labyrinth."

"You've been sight-seeing in there as well? Good Lord almighty, girl! I'll be needin' to chain ye to something."

"It has protective symbols. Maybe you can use them."

"Bless you for the thought, but I've enough protection from Him above. And for that diagram to be any good you'd have to draw it out and be sittin' in the middle of it. And you know something, I've left all me coloring pens at home tonight. Now, you'll be doing me a big favor if you were to stay put before you bang into something bigger than you."

"Stay put. Right!"

Lara watched Father Patrick walk away.

"Ok no how bout we just stay here." Jack said leaning against a wall.

"No." Lara said folding her arms.

"Lara you've got to be kidding me."

"No I'm not I cant just stay put."

"But look at what happened at the chapel."

"If we had of stayed there we'd be there forever."

"How do you know that? Maybe he was just about to come for us before we scared him half to death."

"I doubt that."

"Lara you are starting to get on my last nerve."

"If you want to stay here then stay here. But I'm not going to just stand around."

"Lara what if you run into something bigger then you…and you cant get away."

"That's not going to happen."

"How do you know?"

Lara said nothing and just walked past a brown stone on the ground. She didn't know what was about to happen. She hears what sounds like a horse. She looks up and sees a demon horseman appears on the hillside. Lara stands frozen as she watches him come riding closer to try and cut Lara down, then dismounts, grabs her and throws her back to the other end of the path. The he rides off back up the hillside.

"Lara!" Jack ran to her side.

"I'm fine really." Lara straggles to get back to her feet. Still trembling of what just happened. She was normally brave but that just scared the day lights out of her. All she wanted was to go home. She was sick of having to deal with all these demons.

"See what I'm talking about. We should just stay here." Jack helped her off the ground. She just pushed him away.

"No."

"Lara, That demon isn't just going to just let you pass." He pointed to the hillside where the demon had come from.

"No he wont but we can go though this tunnel." Lara pointed to a tunnel just a few feet from where they were standing. She started to walk but Jack grabbed her arm stopping her.

"We? No there is no "we" in this its just you." Jack let go of her arm and backed away.

"Fine then you can stay here if you want. I don't care, but I'm going." Lara started to walk down the tunnel.

When she was out of sight Jack waited a few seconds before going after her. The one thing he always hated about her was she was stubborn. She was hardheaded about every thing. She never listened to him when he spoke. He just wanted to smack sense into her.

'She almost got herself killed a few times. Why dose she want to go and get her self hurt. Or worse killed.' Jack thought to him self. "I don't want to lose her like this. Even if she dose know what she's doing." He said out loud

"Lara…Lara wait." Jack ran after Lara but she was nowhere. "Lara?"

"I'm right here." Lara came walking around a corner.

"Oh."

"Scaredy cat couldn't stay by yourself." Lara joked.

"Oh shut up."

Lara walked to a ledge to see changelings below on another ledge.

"Oh no these guys again."

They looked up and noticed Lara and Jack standing there and started to throw rocks at them.

"OW!" Lara pushed Jack into the safety of the cave.

"What do now?"

"I don't know, find fire that might help."

"How?"

"Maybe it'll scare them off."

"Well were do we find fire?"

"I saw a torch over here some where." Lara walked thought the tunnel to find a torch. "Found it." Walking bout out on to the ledge Lara threw the torch down on the ledge below near the little changelings. They watched the torch fall and when it rolled near them they stared at it for a few seconds then started running in a small circle freaking out.

"Ok what now?"

Lara looked up at the rope hanging she ran and jumped in it.

"Lara."

"What?"

"Don't look down."

"Yeah I'll keep that in mind." Lara turned and started to swing to a small opening in a wall. She let go of the rope to grab the opening. Jack closed his eyes knowing she wouldn't make it. When he opened his eyes she was gone.

"Lara?" He looked down thinking she'd fallen but he didn't see her. When he looked to the hole in the cave wall she was coming out with some thing in her hand. Lara swung on the rope and landed back to the ledge where Jack was standing. "You know you scared me half to death."

"Sorry."

"What's that?"

"Chalk."

"For what? You plan on playing hop scotch?"

"Yeah that's what I'm planning on doing." Lara said sarcastically.

Walking to the back out side the cave where the demon threw her on the ground. Lara stood on the dark brown square in the middle of the path and use the chalk to do some sketching. Lara sketched an arcane symbols upon the tile. The demon horseman charges out of the woods and down the path, but the symbols appear to stop him.

"Lara!" Jack yelled.

Lara stood and backed away form the horseman.

Again he tries to slice Lara with his sword, but Father Patrick comes to the rescue, shoving her aside just in time.

The demon knight grabs the good Father and bonks him in the head with his pommel of his sword, flings him over the horse's back and rides away. Lara and Jack run after the horseman.

When Lara and Jack finally spot a barn they slowly approach it. The demon knight bursts out of the barn on horseback, still carrying Father Patrick.

"Who is this that stands before me? The first to visit me in my prison seven hundred years past."

"Seven hundred years, all alone in a barn? Huh, those winter nights must have just flown by."

"Silence, ignorant heretic, or I behead you!"

The horseman then shoves the priest off the horse. He lands on the ground in a heap.

"Leave him be!"

"For the child has spirit, but what is that? When this island is littered with the bones of holy men. My gift to them for their spirit in obstructing me from claiming my rightful inheritance."

"And this inheritance, I would wonder, would be some way to explain why your walking and breathing when you should be gone long past?"

"The inheritance is the gift of eternal life. Contained within an ancient scroll. Concealed by the dullard Abbot and his cohorts, the scroll which draws forth pale demon blood through my veins. I am no longer man. I am one for the earth and one for above the gaping abyss of Hades."

"So why stay on the island? Came for a holiday and fell in love with the scenery?"

"Hold your yapping tongue for want I clip it! Boils and plagues plaster over this island and its treacherous inhabitants! For it was they, and their ox little abbot, who plotted to incarcerate me in this dungeon hall for an eternity. I, Vladimir Kaleta, who worshipped in the first Kremlin, who butchered the Swede and the Lefsky on the banks of the River Neva. Incarcerated within this prison of flowing water!"

"Running water… You're trapped here by running water!" Lara said.

"Demons cannot cross running water."

"Indeed. The abbot's final trick before I was transformed." He then turned to Lara. "And you shall find a way to shore up this stream or your holy man shall be opened up and gutted like live stock."

The demon then hauls Father Patrick back onto the horse, mounts and rides back into the barn. The doors slam shut behind them.

"Holy…Ok this just keeps getting weirder." Jack said frozen in the spot he was standing in.

"Yeah it dose, come on we have to save Father."

"Well what do we have to do?"

"Shut off the water."

"How?"

"I really don't know there has to be something here that turns it off. We just have to find it."

"Ok so where should we go first?"

Lara said nothing she just started walking. She came to a waterwheel.

"So the thing we need to use to turn off the water is in there."

"Yeah I guess so, boy you're so smart."

"Lara I didn't follow you just to hear you be a smart ass to me."

Lara stopped, "Why did you follow me? And do say it was to make sure I was ok. Cause I hardly believe after what you put me though…you could give a damn about me."

"Lara I still love you. I never stopped, and I don't know why you would think I don't care for you. Cause I do, I know what I did was wrong. I know that now and I am very sorry for that. I really am, I do care for that's why I came, why I followed you."

Chapter Six

After de-activating the waterwheel, Lara and Jack emerge from the small mill. The demon horseman again bursts out of the barn. He raises his arms and shouts out his triumph. As he speaks, he lifts Father Patrick from the horse.

"Your child has done her job well, and I taste freedom for the first time in an eon. You will now fear me? For you have served your purpose well holy man, and for this should I exercise mercy as a god might?"

"Now that'd be nice, but I'm not holdin' me breath."

"Yes, I shall spare and secure for you a fate worse than death! For when you pass beyond this world, Heaven shall no longer welcome you, for you have released a demon."

"My faith will protect me from feckless lesser demons as yourself."

Enraged, the horseman head-butts Father Patrick and then flings him to the ground.

"Father!"

"Ah! The child. I shall snuff out her life as a candle."

"The book from the library…" Lara backs away as the demon advances toward her.

"The names… read out the names."

Lara takes the Bestiary from her backpack, opens it and begins to read. The horseman continues to advance.

"Askeroth. Aqueil. Arrancula. Belial. Bucom. Boliath. . . . Help me!"

"Keep reading, girl, you're almost there."

"Camos. . . Masteflou. . . ."

The horseman raises his sword to take a swing at Lara, but Father Patrick lunges at the horseman from behind. He tries to tackle the horseman, but the demon breaks away and flings him aside. Just as the horseman is about to strike Lara down, she hits on the correct name.

"Verdilet!"

The horseman is paralyzed. "How is this? I move to strike and yet cannot!"

"You've done well, girl, and before you ask, I'll tell ye. The book you've got, I myself was looking for it, but as I couldn't find it, assumed you had it, and lucky ye did!"

"But how…?"

"If you name a demon, you have power over it, and you named him! It's your shout, Lara."

"For this you shall burn for eternity! I shall drown you in a mire of your own entrails before I squeeze…"

"Be quiet!"

"What ye reckon we get out of this God-forsaken place and go and get a nice cup of tea with Winston? Almost forgot, would you be wantin' to wave goodbye to our little friend?"

"Back to where you belong!"

The demon vanishes. Father Patrick puts an arm around Lara and they leave together.

Father Patrick, Lara and Jack sail home.

"And you'll have learned a few valuable lesions from that, I be thinkin'."

"You'd be thinking right, Father."

"I have to…never follow Lara on an adventure again."

"Now see why I didn't want to tell you what I do?"

"Yeah but I still don't like that you lied to me."

"Jack please, don't start this again."

"Don't start what?"

"You hurt me worse then I hurt you."

"Oh come on." He paused waiting for her to answer. "Lara…"

"Don't Lara me."

"I thought we got passed this?"

"Well I guess we haven't, when we get home I never want to talk to you again." Lara walked to another part of the boat.

"She's crazy." Jack sat down and leaned his head against the side of the boat.

"Ahh young love." Father Patrick said with a laugh.

THE END


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